Re: ground bees

Hmm. I can see they must be pretty annoying in that concentration. They may have eggs or larvae they were tending & are trying to find the brood. Donna, is there any way you can duplicate the soil in that garden in an area elsewhere in your yard? or along a ditch bank? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Theresa G." <macycat3@sbcglobal.net> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 2:06 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] ground bees



I would think that once evening comes they will all find somewhere to
go, so that you may not have so many by tomorrow.  I think the idea
about mulching is also a good one, that will discourage them from
returning to the same spot where they are at.  Can you mulch inbetween
the railroad stuff and around the perimeter?
Theresa

Donna wrote:

hum....

ever see flies on sh*&? Well if the train layout was a pile of crap,
that is what it looks like. You can not step anywhere without a bunch
swarming around your ankles. And now that I have weeded it and disturbed
them all, they are just flying around the ground trying to get back in.
To be honest, when I first started/saw them, I thought something must be
dead in there with all those flies, then realized they were not flies,
they were bees. I think every bee in the county is nesting here.


I can't believe I have that many bad bugs to keep that population fed. I
still think I need to decrease the population..or at least transport
some of them. They need to go about 40 ft west and pollinate that veggie
garden!


  Donna

cathy carpenter <cathycrc@comcast.net> wrote:
  Agree completely. Yellow jackets and hornets are the only bee/wasps
that I will attempt to exterminate, and those only if nesting near
people or where I mow. Solitary bees are great pollinators. Bumblebees
nest in the ground, too, but they are communal, frequently utilizing
abandoned mouse burrows. Solitary wasps prey on the "bad guys" in your
garden. Please try to coexist with them!
cathy carpenter
west central IL, z5b



On Jul 6, 2008, at 2:28 PM, DP wrote:



If they're black, or definitely not yellow jackets, leave them since
they're beneficial. As you say, they're not aggressive. Most "ground
bees" are solitary nesters and destroy Gypsy Moth, Broccoli worms
and other caterpillars.

If they're Yellow Jackets, there will be one central hole. It can be
treated with a long-reach spray in the evening, or dusted with Sevin
or another insecticide (also at night so you don't tick them off and
get stung) .

d

----- Original Message ----- From: "Donna"
To: "gardenchat list"
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2008 1:59 PM
Subject: [CHAT] ground bees




While weeding (ok read pulling out the cover of weeds) the railroad
garden I have found it is infested with ground bees. I have
hundreds of
them everywhere there. They are not aggressive, as no one got bit.
But
they are all in a tither trying to dig in the dirt again.


What the heck are they? They sure look like a bees. How do I control
them? There are way too many to allow them to just stay. And if I do
succeed in stopping them, I am afraid they will just go elsewhere
in the
yard. I need kill off some at least. Ideas?


Donna


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT



---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT



--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.526 / Virus Database: 270.4.5/1536 - Release Date: 7/5/2008 10:15 AM 

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index