Posted: 3/13/2003 3:46:57 PM EDT
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I recently cut down, and cut into firewood, an ash tree in my backyard. It's been sitting there stacked for 2-3 weeks now. This afternoon, there are about 40-50 bees crawling all over it. They are concentrated on my woodpile, I can see no hive and no area of the pile they are really concentrating on. Anyone A> Had this happen to them? B> Have any reccomendations if they do decide to move in or C> Know of any pest control products that would be safe to use on firewood?(I dont want poisoned wood burning in my house) I'm in Austin, Tx, and I think they are yellowjackets but I didnt get too close to look. PS- If the only solution you have to offer is "running out of the yard screaming like a little girl", I've already tried that, it didnt get rid of the bees. |
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Quoted: Quoted: BK1 It would be interesting to try your theory on ticks. We had some in the office in an air tight jar for over a year, and the little bastards well still going strong! Ticks aren't insects. Dunno if it would work. If they arent insects, what are they? echo6 |
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Quoted: Quoted: If they arent insects, what are they? Are they spiders? I thought 6 legs=insect. Sorry to be so slow answering--work called. They are [i]arachnids[/i]-- [b]Arachnid«uh RAK nihd», is the name of any member of a class of small, insectlike, land animals. The best-known arachnids are spiders, ticks, mites, scorpions, and daddy longlegs, or harvestmen. Arachnids, unlike insects, have no wings. Their bodies are divided into two main parts, the abdomen and the cephalothorax, which consists of the head and the thorax joined together. Insects, however, have three main body parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Arachnids have four pairs of legs but have no antennae (feelers). Insects have antennae, but only three pairs of legs.[/b] [url]http://www.worldbookonline.com/wbol/wbAuth/jsp/wbArticle.jsp?/na/ar/co/ar027600.htm[/url] |
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A few years back, I discovered that I had a beehive within the walls of my house. They could come into my laundry room and buzz around looking for mischief. I discovered the first batch one morning and really didn't know what to do with a room full of bees. I just closed the door and thought about it for awhile. Then it hit me - the perfect weapon! [size=4]The dreaded Hoover upright!![/size=4] I wheeled it into the laundry room and fastened the drapery attachment. It took a few minutes to learn the technique, but I was soon sucking the bees into their dusty purgatory. You should have seen me - I was like Zorro with that thing! I got over 40 bees that first day. They kept sending out search parties for their lost brethren in the following days, but to no avail. I was waiting for them - Hoover in hand. It took about a week but I got them all. Bees tremble at the mere mention of my name. |
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1) Yellowjackets are WASPS not bees, and they are usually (at least the ones we have) VERY agressive... 2) Spray it with normal bee spray... The stuff is combustable (petroleum (or similar) based) and will break down harmlessly when burned... Also, if you have a good enough draft going, nothing goes OUT of the fireplace, it goes up the flue... |
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If it's a BEE swarm and not a wasp variant, build a hive and buy a queen. Set the hive near the woodpile and the swarm will be attracted by the queen's pheremones. Buy some books on becoming an apiary and enjoy as much as 100 lbs of nature's purest food every year for free. Don't kill non-aggressive honeybees. |
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Quoted: If it's a BEE swarm and not a wasp variant, build a hive and buy a queen. Set the hive near the woodpile and the swarm will be attracted by the queen's pheremones. Buy some books on becoming an apiary and enjoy as much as 100 lbs of nature's purest food every year for free. Don't kill non-aggressive honeybees. MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!! Fresh wild honey......Drooooooooooool. |
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Quoted: PS- If the only solution you have to offer is "running out of the yard screaming like a little girl", I've already tried that, it didnt get rid of the bees. If you didnt jump around like you were on fire while tuggin on your clothes, it wasn't valid. You must do it again..... scoke. |
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Quoted: One time a big fly (I thought it was a bee) landed on the back of my neck and I hit the deck immediately. I guess you had to be there - it was funny stuff. The two old guys sitting out on the front porch of the one store in town looked like they were about to call mental health on me when I noticed them. I left very quickly. |