Bees, Wasps, Hornets ???

[Fish Farmer]

Whats happening with the Bees, Hornets and Wasps.
It could be just my area but I haven't seen any wasps, Hornets or Bees this year around my house, i have lots of flowers in my yard.
The only thing I see is lots of those Big Bumble Bees.
Other years I've been pestered with Wasps and Hornets, haven't seen any this year?
Anyone else notice this?
Kinda makes one to think whats happening.

[smerchly]

There were some stories this past spring about the huge loss of bees in Niagara . Some bee farms lost over 90 % of their bees  . I have also noticed very few bees on my flowers and clover this year . I have seen more yellow jackets that tried to make a nest in the bow of my boat . A few honey bees like the sweet smelling purple flowers on my milk weed  & cone flowers . I have about 20 large canis plants which the hummingbirds like to visit but no hummers so far this year , and very few bats . 

But lots of skunks ...released 2 more yesterday ,another to go for a trip this morning ......

Here is a story about the honey bees as every farmer knows , we all depend on bees to keep food on our table !  We best deal with this problem pronto !! 

 

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/local-port-colborne/news/2022/06/01/we-need-to-help-the-bees-some-beekeepers-in-niagara-have-seen-upwards-to-a-90-loss-of-hives.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=stcatharinesstandard_ymbii 

[bigugli]

No lack of yellowjackets here

[smerchly]

3 minutes ago, bigugli said:

No lack of yellowjackets here

They don't like my sunlight dish soap bath Bruce ....kills them in 5 seconds . 

I took this shot 2 days ago , they like those tough hard cones .......

 

 

[Fish Farmer]

9 hours ago, smerchly said:

There were some stories this past spring about the huge loss of bees in Niagara . Some bee farms lost over 90 % of their bees  . I have also noticed very few bees on my flowers and clover this year . I have seen more yellow jackets that tried to make a nest in the bow of my boat . A few honey bees like the sweet smelling purple flowers on my milk weed  & cone flowers . I have about 20 large canis plants which the hummingbirds like to visit but no hummers so far this year , and very few bats . 

But lots of skunks ...released 2 more yesterday ,another to go for a trip this morning ......

Here is a story about the honey bees as every farmer knows , we all depend on bees to keep food on our table !  We best deal with this problem pronto !! 

 

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/local-port-colborne/news/2022/06/01/we-need-to-help-the-bees-some-beekeepers-in-niagara-have-seen-upwards-to-a-90-loss-of-hives.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=stcatharinesstandard_ymbii 

I guess it must be my area around Hamilton Thanks Bill for your info, interesting, sure makes one think whats going to happen in years to come, scary

[Fish Farmer]

9 hours ago, bigugli said:

No lack of yellowjackets here

Thanks Bruce, I'm not complaining😀 you can keep them, but it is concerning as to why.👍😲

[bigugli]

On 8/2/2022 at 6:06 PM, Fish Farmer said:

Thanks Bruce, I'm not complaining😀 you can keep them, but it is concerning as to why.👍😲

Funny thing is that the area around the farm has seen a rise in the bee population, as well as other beneficial and harmful insects.  Much come as a result of reduced pesticide use on a number of farms.

[smerchly]

After ridding my boat of yellow jackets , then getting stung 4 times on my shoulder  when one got inside my shirt , I found another nest of them inside my plastic greenhouse . They were inside a large rubbermaid box of old apple tree firewood . I filled a pail half full of  very soapy dish water , poured it into the tote box and slammed the lid tightly on the box , very quickly !!  I wore my worm picking head light

with the red side on .. That should get 100% of them as the lid stays shut for a week ! 

 

...good to see the bees are there on the farms . The fruit crops seem to be doing well this year . I remember ,many years ago  "Sevin" was killing bees and farmers were told not to use it as the blossoms opened , not sure if they still use it now....

[LostLure]

As a mazer, the local honey supply has definitely been affected. 
 

Don’t want to curse myself, but also a distinct lack of wasps and hornets, I live up the north end and normally they’re a daily annoyance. 

[dave524]

I recall years ago mom wanted me to get some hornets above the back door, went through her aerosol cans looking for a hornet blaster , didn't find any but there was a can of Easy Off oven cleaner,  on direct contact it worked just as well 😅 

[smerchly]

Cleanest hornets in town ! ...like Mrs. Omalley who swallowed a cake of Grandma's lye soap and had the cleanest ulcers in the land....

 

I always keep a spray bottle handy ,or a spray tank with a strong solution of sunlight soap & water which kills yellow jackets and wasps in seconds , and cheap too !

I have also used it to wipe out ant nests ...kills them on contact and fries their eggs too .

[Fish Farmer]

On 9/1/2022 at 2:31 PM, smerchly said:

Cleanest hornets in town ! ...like Mrs. Omalley who swallowed a cake of Grandma's lye soap and had the cleanest ulcers in the land....

 

I always keep a spray bottle handy ,or a spray tank with a strong solution of sunlight soap & water which kills yellow jackets and wasps in seconds , and cheap too !

I have also used it to wipe out ant nests ...kills them on contact and fries their eggs too .

Thanks for the tip Smerch, I have lots of Ants around 👍

[genec]

Certainly enough yellowjackets and bees around our area in Welland!

[deetch]

The last 2 weeks the yellow jackets came out of now where

[smerchly]

Just now, deetch said:

The last 2 weeks the yellow jackets came out of now where

They seem to be the most plentiful this year . I have seen very few hornets  , a few more bees came when the clover was heavier on the grass and they like the rose of sharon blossoms too .

I set the new trap to help deter the yellow jackets from buzzing all over the grass when I let our pup out side to roam the yard . He chases anothing that moves and will eat anything from moths to rabbit 'raisins'. The dish soap/water kills them in 5 to 10 seconds . I'm careful to not spray the honey bees and none went into the trap . and I saw the bats are showing up more these days ....lots of flying meals for them at dusk .

[mooseslayer]

Yellow jackets eat meat until about the first week of August and then switch to sucrose. That's why you suddenly see them all over fruit that is fermenting.

[smerchly]

When I had my huge apple tree the yellow jackets would be all over the fallen apples .  I was always afraid my dog(s) would get stung . The tree and stump are long gone . This shot was taken in the fall of 2015 . Some apples had 50+ lady bugs on them .