Just wondering if anyone else has noticed a more than a normal abundance of bees this summer. Maybe just this area but I have been stung more in the last 3 weeks than I have been in the last 5-10 years. Maybe the harsh winter had something to do with their population and they are trying to get back to their full compliment. Yesterday I was falling some dead white oak which the bark had partially fallen off. Into my second wedge cut [chainsaw] at the trunk out they came. Still haven't figured out exactly where they were ( under the loose bark or ground) but I think I will wait until colder weather to reap that firewood. ;)
Just the opposite is true here in North Texas. Haven't seen any honey bees. Plenty of mud daubers and wasps though . . .
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We have less honey bees by far but way more bumble bees in the mountains. However now until frost down here in the valley it is yellow jacket time.
You are very lucky. Many wild bees are having severe declines in population. My local extension service said that they have become increasingly rare. Hopefully they are bees and not wasps. If you were closer, I would come and try and relocate them for you. I would love a disease resistant strain to keep and help repopulate.
That's an interesting question John.
In the burbs, you can't find a bee, but at the farm, they're everywhere.
I haven't a clue about it and apparently the experts don't know either. I think the cell tower theory may have something to do with the local lack of bees, but why so many in the rural sections this year is up for grabs.
You may be right about the cold winter because I have a bumper crop of ticks this year also.
Get some of them African bees Squirl.. c*
Peter our tick population here this year was spiked as well. The wood ticks which carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever were real bad. And lasted a very long season this year. They are usually done middle of June. Our little three year old granddaughter and her folks were up camping just two weeks ago. She walked from the van to the camping spot through some tall grass and had one on her.
Quote from: rick91351 on August 17, 2010, 08:44:51 AM
Peter our tick population here this year was spiked as well. The wood ticks which carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever were real bad. And lasted a very long season this year. They are usually done middle of June. Our little three year old granddaughter and her folks were up camping just two weeks ago. She walked from the van to the camping spot through some tall grass and had one on her.
They're almost always gone by this time here but I pulled 27 of them off of me on Sunday.
We had a bumper tick crop but it has thinned of late. The huge european hornets have been everywhere, I've been told they eat other bees and the honey bee population has been low here but a little better than the past few years. The hornets are in one old stump where we've been clearing, I've shot off 3 cans at the hole but it must be deep, there are still many working it, taking the 20 lb tank and weedburner next week. I was offered a honeybee hive last year but was too slow on the response and lost out. But to answer your question, yup, I've been popped by several hornets, jackets and wasps this year, I think they've been hot and bothered.
Don I normally heal fairly fast from a sting or should I say "use to". Maybe my immune system is not what it once was. Again it was in fatty tissue (handles) and not in muscle tissue. That might explain the reason that it has not worked out of my system as fast. I didn't know that my son could run faster than me. ;D Not real sure what these were as they were like 1/2 size of normal yellow jackets but were darker (maybe black jackets) and I believe they were ground dwellers (diggers). I am always amazed at how quick the bees can make a nest. Two other nest (1- hornet and the other wasp) were constructed in less than two weeks at the house at a place I would least expect.
On the ground dwellers I have always found that the fumes are the real killers. If you can cover the hole with a shovel of dirt that it will keep the fumes within the cavity and prevent their escape until it has done it's job. Good luck on yours.
We have lots of bees - all sorts & I've been bit by a meat bee, stung by a honey bee & a wasp this summer. The wasp sting was the worst (in the calf) - took a couple weeks to heal. Every year I get bit by a meat bee, but it's been years since a honey bee has stung me & never been stung by a wasp that I can remember.
I think our ticks were the worst ever this year too.
I haven't been stung this year ( yet, I had a close call) but my wife and son both were stung a week apart from Wasp who made their nests under the front porch. Wife went outside about 7:00 am one morning and one stung her on the ankle. Week later my son was stung on the leg. I then stepped on one in sock feet and luckily did not get stung as I am a little allergic ( I swell up like a balloon ). I got the wasp and hornet spray out and under the porch I went. I found five nests one of which was about 6 inches across. I ran out of spray before I ran out of bee's. I had a yellow jackets nest in the tall grass beside my garden real early this year. I "fumed" them out one night. There does seem to be a lot of bee's but not many honey bee's.
I'v killed more red wasps this year than probably in the past 10 years combined. They are everywhere. I have destroyed over a dozen nests at the house. As for the country in a more rural setting, the hornet and yellow jacket population seems down from previous years but the honey bees seem to be doing ok. I see the honey bees almost every trip, they dont bother me tho. They like the clover.
ticks and scorpions also seem to be doing very well this summer. I took two ticks off myself today on the way home today. I dont like those scorpions and they usually just get the business end of my boot. the faster the better in my opinion. I saw a nice huge yellow orb spider (bananna spider - 3" long or so) today chowing down on a grasshopper. I dont mind them when I see them first and avoid them. I hate having them crawl on me. The worst was when one climbed down the front of my baseball cap and dangled in front of my face while I was mowing a few weeks ago. I heebie-jeebied out over that.
Other than that, sure was hot today, chainsawed and downed 20 or so trees in this day trip, heat index 110. wow. I'm pooped. Seems every year the summers are tougher on my body than I remembered from the past year.