How to Deal With Ground Bees

Ground bees are very different from honey bees. Honey bees are quickly going extinct, and their hives should never be tampered with except by a beekeeper. Beekeepers will gladly remove honey bee nests and will sometimes do it for free. Ground bees are longer than honey bees and are much, much more aggressive. It you are attacked by ground bees, which are often referred to as Yellow Jackets, they do not usually give up. Running and flailing your arms will only make them even angrier. A groundskeeper friend told me that it was best to just stand still and take the hits, as he called it. He claimed that you will get stung a few times and that they will then leave you alone. Personally, I don’t want to get stung at all!

Ground bees burrow hives into soft soil or into wood or other places that they can find a safe sanctuary. This, unfortunately, means that they will go wherever they can. It may be your yard or your home. Since they are extremely aggressive, this means that you have to be extremely careful once you have discovered their nests. 

I have read a ton of horrible ideas on how to deal with their hives. Ideas from pouring gasoline into their nest to sticking road flairs into the hive may work, but are completely dangerous and foolish. When I found the nest in our side yard, I first tried a powder that I got from my local hardware store. You are supposed to dust it around the nest at night, and during the day, they track the poison back in and kill off the entire hive. I added more every night for a week and there was no change. I then tried a spray foam insecticide. This worked, but only as long as the bees dove into the foam. Once the foam was gone, they were back to work as usual. A few more cans later, I was looking for a better and cheaper idea. So, I listened to the advice of an old friend of mine and covered the hive a 6 foot by 6 foot clear plastic drop cloth. I weighted down the sides with a few scrap 2 by 4s and waited. The next day, they were trapped, and ticked off! But a few days later, they were dead. Just to be safe, I waited an entire week before removing the drop cloth. I haven’t seen a bee in that area again!

Some quick tips: Only approach the hive at night when they are dormant. During the day, you can mark the nest with a brightly colored object (like a Frisbee). Anything that you can toss from a safe distance that will help you locate the nest again at night. And, if you are allergic to bee stings, get someone else to do the dirty work!

Getting a Lush Green Lawn

Spring is probably the most important time of year for your lawn. In my part of the country spring is just beginning to show its signs. The trees are budding and the tulips are poking out of the ground. This means it is time to get started on the lawn. The last couple of years I have been using Scott's lawn service to fertilize my lawn. They do a wonderful job, but for the do it yourself kind of person they have lots of products for sale at Home Depot and Wal-Mart.

It can be pretty confusing as to what to put down and when. Luckily for us Scott's has recently launched a totally redesigned website. I am impressed with the new design. It has many new features that I wish they had a few years ago as I would have done my own lawn fertilizing if those features existed then. You enter in your zip code, what type of grass you have, where you shop and they print up a shopping list and calender for when you should fertilize your lawn. I hired a lawn service because I could never really figure out when the best time to put the fertilizer down or I was too busy when I needed to feed the lawn. So I always got poor results because I was always too late to give my lawn what it needed. If you have similar problems, save some money and try out Scott's new website.

Time To Prep Your Mower For Winter

I just finished cutting my grass for the last time this year. It is now time to prep my mower for winter storage. First, add some gasoline stabilizer to your fuel tank. Gas stabilizer is available at any hardware or automotive store and it will keep your gas from breaking down before the next spring. Second, remove the spark plug and place it in a sealed bag or container and store it inside. Now turn the mower on its side and remove all grass clippings from under the mower. Always be careful when working around the blade! Pay special attention to the area around the exhaust outlet. Finally, spray down the metal and the blade with WD-40 to keep rust at bay!

Fall Lawn And Garden Tip Week

This week we will be looking at ways to get your lawn and garden ready for spring. There are several things you can do this fall to cut down on your work in the spring and make sure everything is ready for a beautiful spring. One of the things I do every fall is plant new trees and scrubs. Several local nurseries have auctions where you can buy plants for a tenth of their cost in the spring. This year I will be looking for a ornamental cherry tree.

Prepare Your Garden Hose For Winter

Now that the weather will soon cool, it’s time to get things ready for the colder months. For those of us who live places that have cold winters, an outdoor item that should not be neglected is the garden hose. If left to the elements, it will most likely split or develop holes. When it become unlikely that you will use the hose again before spring, detach the hose from the spigot and drag it to a relatively dirt and muck free area, like a driveway or a patio. Make sure the hose is empty of water and then wipe it down with mild soap and water. Rinse it off and then mist it with white vinegar. The vinegar will deter both insects and mold. Let it dry and then store it someplace dry and protected from the elements. Come spring it should be both free of mold, not too buggy and ready to go.

Choosing a Lawn Service

In the past, I always was my own lawn service. Then a few years ago, when my daughter was born, I hired a local lawn service because I didn't have the time to do it myself. This worked out great until last year when the local company grew too large to give me the level of service I was looking for. I fired them this year and have been desperately looking for a new service. Several of my neighbors are using Scott's Lawn Service and are quite happy with there service and their lawns look great, so I have hired Scott's. They are a national chain, but their headquarters are located only about 20 miles from where I live so I view them as local company. My lawn is looking pretty bad this year because of the recent heat wave and lack of rain, so their help is needed. I'll keep you posted as to how Scott's works out.