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Thread: Remove bugs and bees from my property

  1. #31
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    I don't like the idea of kilning bees either, but in all fairness the man did not ask for advice on managing his allergies. He asked for advice on getting rid of bees.

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerrimy Snook View Post
    Zach, next time try a Festool vac... They say green cool-aid is addicting.
    I can tell you they work well for mice. Till they start to stink and you have to replace the expensive bag at least...


  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zach England View Post
    I don't like the idea of kilning bees either, but in all fairness the man did not ask for advice on managing his allergies. He asked for advice on getting rid of bees.
    True, but this forum would definitely be lacking if John does make that final trip to the emergency room and I suspect that no amount of effort short of a screen house covering his whole acreage will significantly impact the number of bees and wasps in his vicinity. He did express one reason he wanted to get rid of them was the severe reaction from them. Perhaps eliminating that makes the removal question moot.
    Last edited by Bill ThompsonNM; 04-22-2012 at 12:57 PM.

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zach England View Post
    I don't like the idea of kilning bees either, but in all fairness the man did not ask for advice on managing his allergies. He asked for advice on getting rid of bees.
    Thanks, Zach. Believe me, there are no happy little honey bees peacefully foraging around here. We don't keep many flowers, and what we do have are not what they're looking for. That's not by accident. I have lots of aggressive wasps and hornets.

    And while we're on the subject of man's role in the ecosystem, which apparently this has turned into, let me tell you what these innocent, harmless woodland creatures do. I've had rodents of all kinds cause ridiculous amounts of damage in my shed from their "nests" and other little gifts they leave behind (nest is a nice way of saying "squirrel toilet"), not to mention a constant battle to keep them from nesting in and destroying various parts of my ATV (critical to me for property maintenance and snow clearing) and anything else I happen to store. It's like Christmas year round when I open the shed door and see what rodent Santa Clause left me. I almost broke my leg last year when the piece of grass I stepped on suddenly sunk 2 feet into the ground. Groundhog. I can't plant anything resembling food because my property is infested with squirrels, chipmunks, birds (including turkeys) and deer. Whatever I plant, and whatever I do, gets destroyed and eaten. Thank God they leave my herbs alone. And it's not like I'm looking for those stupid hornets. They build their nests all over my house, in the attics, sheds, crawl spaces, and wherever else they can. Some of you guys must be living in the heart of a city or in the middle of a field. If you live off in the woods like me, the non-human parts of mother nature are constantly assaulting you. I don't buy this notion that people are intruders and everything else is natural. I've got just as much of a right to live peacefully as anyone else, difference being that you can't reason with rodents and insects.

    Even my wife, the bleeding heart of all bleeding hearts who once broke down crying in the supermarket because she bought free range eggs and was sick to her stomach thinking of all the suffering non-free range chickens (no, I'm not joking), has had enough and last fall allowed...nay, ordered...me to lay out traps and poison to "get rid of the little bas...."....uhm, get rid of the little fellas.

  5. #35
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    John, I understand that what you call wasps and hornets and yellow jackets all belong to the same family, yellow jackets do not get mean, they stay mean, will you plant some marigolds and mums for your wife, one of these flowers will help to control the vermin

  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Coloccia View Post
    .....
    Whoa


  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Meiser View Post
    Whoa
    Which part? LOL.

    My whole house is build on ledge. Apparently I have a vast network of little tunnels and things all over the place. When we replaced the septic tank several years ago (it was in very bad shape...the last owner used to drive his machinery over it and dumped the backwash from the softener into the septic system), the entire tank collapsed just as he was exposing it. It's buried 4 feet down. He took a scoop, finally got to the top of the tank, dumped it and by the time he turned back the tank was just....well, gone. There wasn't even anything to haul off. The whole thing crumbled into dust and tiny little pieces.

    Anyhow, after marveling at it for a few seconds, a little chipmunk stuck it's head out into the new chasm...from about 10 feet down! They've got a little city down there ROFL. I can't even imagine how they do it.

  8. #38
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    John,

    I can certainly understand your situation, I live in a rural area and I have to coexist with lots of different critters, insects and terrible mosquitoes during certain times of the year. I shoot groundhogs and I have learned to tolerate the skunks because they have the upper hand Insects are basically impossible to control, all you can really do is manage the plant life as you have done and deal with Mother Nature the best you can.

    Imagine what kinds of problems birds pose at Nuclear Power Plants, they fly over the fences and land where they please. They often feed in areas that are contaminated then carry the contamination with them as they fly back over the fence on their way back to their nest. Along the way they can easily land on your car, your children's toys in the back yard, etc. We may be the most intelligent but we don't control the planet
    .

  9. #39
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    John,
    Here is an interesting piece you should read. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05525.html
    Because you don't live in a closed ecosystem and winged insects can move about at will, you can only hope to control the found nests in close proximity to your living area. There is no magic bullet, chemical or otherwise that will rid your area of bees and bugs with any amount of permanency. You or a professional service can only treat what can be found nesting in and around your home and adjacent land. Even if you had someone fly over your house with a crop duster, the chances of permanently wiping out those insects is zero. When a nest is found, treat and destroy it, checking back often to see if another is being built. The key is to destroy the nest when it and the colony is relatively small. To carpet bomb your entire property with insecticides will surely do more harm than good by destroying many of the beneficial insects that share that space with the bugs you wish to remove. Again, the best defense is a good offense by seeking out and destroying the colonies before they have a chance to get established.

  10. #40
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    Research and build bat boxes--then hang them on your house and on tall trees nearby. Bats are harmless and eats tons of insects. It may take some time for them to find and inhabit the boxes you build them, but once they do, you should see an improvement.
    Jason

    "Don't get stuck on stupid." --Lt. Gen. Russel Honore


  11. #41
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Outten View Post
    I have developed an allergic reaction to honey bees over the years. I constantly watch for them when I'm outside and give them plenty of space. Generally speaking I try not to kill any bees, without them we would soon starve to death. No bees no food!!!
    As a child, I had severe allergic reactions to bee stings. Fortunately, I haven't been stung as an adult so I don't know if that is still a problem.

    As Keith stated: No bees, No food. We're losing bees at an alarming rate worldwide. Bats too.

    http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/201...in-bee-die-off

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...gus/54133900/1

    I haven't seen a honeybee on my property in a least five years.


  12. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Roehl View Post
    Research and build bat boxes--then hang them on your house and on tall trees nearby. Bats are harmless and eats tons of insects. It may take some time for them to find and inhabit the boxes you build them, but once they do, you should see an improvement.
    bats are good at catching bugs but most bats only hunt at night, do the wasps -yellow jackets-hornets fly at night ?

  13. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harry Hagan View Post
    As a child, I had severe allergic reactions to bee stings. Fortunately, I haven't been stung as an adult so I don't know if that is still a problem.

    0/1

    I haven't seen a honeybee on my property in a least five years.
    why not ask your doctor to test you for a allergic reaction to all bee stings

  14. #44
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    the bigger cities used to have a bird that would catch bugs [not volks] at night and we would sit out side to listen for the wind whistle off of their backs[ maybe a night hawk ]

  15. #45
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    I feel your pain. I am sensitive, but have improved with age. Still, if stung by a bald faced hornet I have about 15 minutes to get to a hospital. My current project is about 45 minutes away so I keep an eye out.

    My place has all of the same problems, but add elk in the garden, coon, possum, skunk, porcupine and an occasional wolf. I use a tyvek suit made for Lead abatement and a full faced helmet when I get rid of a nest. You already have the helmet. Red squirrels are the worst, but both my wife and I are great shots. I keep a RJS air rifle handy all the time.

    Sounds like you have a nice place John. Other than the pests.

    Wish you luck in your quest....

    Larry

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