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Saturday, July 24, 2004 The Horrible Bees Actually, they're yellow jackets, but bees make the title seem more like a children's book. Which this isn't so maybe I should change that back? But that would mean deleting this opening paragraph, because it wouldn't make any sense now, and I'm attempting to bulk up my entries even when there isn't anything to write. So, originally, there many a yellow jacket nests clustered with the open light above the front door. When they took it down during the construction, I got a good look and a few pics. 
Well, it appears they didn't leave. Instead they setup house in the tree in the front yard, right on a branch close to the driveway. I wish I had gotten a before image, because it was so much like a cartoon beehive. You know, one hanging from a branch, looking like a ribbed vase? It was grey and about the size of a softball, in fact, if Tine hadn't pointed it out, I probably never would have seen it as it blended in very well. So, being so close to the driveway and right where the mower would go was a recipe for disaster. So I finally decided to take them out Friday night. I got that hyper-spray stuff for hitting a nest like 20 yards away. I stood about 4 feet away and it just about annihilated the next. Tore the lower half right off. Which wasn't all that good, because it didn't kill a lot of them right away. I kept dousing the remains with the can but I could hear them buzzing around. Then I started to feel them whipping around my legs and face. I didn't bother to wait to get stung and ran like a little girl for the house. As I slammed screen shut, I looked back and two of them crashed into the glass and fell to the ground, writhing in death throws. Oh they were pissed. The next day, I went out and got a good look at the carnage. Dead yellow jackets everywhere, three of them made it to the door and died on the stoop. But the best part was the remaining half of the nest in the tree. The spray had sheered off the bottom of the nest and exposed the midsection. 
Those caught in the middle must have died instantly, because they were frozen in death still working around. It was like a cross-section diorama. There were yellow jackets clearly working and moving about. Pupa in various stages of development and eggs in their honeycombs awaiting birth. It was like a science lesson. Right now it's still there, and I have to cut it down when I get around to it (it's currently # 23 on my To Do List), but part of me wants to save it in some capacity. I mean, can I put it in a can of clear shellac? I wonder if there's some spray that would go on clear and preserve the whole thing? Who am I kidding? I'll be lucky if it actually gets cut down. That baby will probably be there until next summer. Or beyond. posted by Evil Wayne | 3:55 PM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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