Hello,

I hate bees, and anything that can sting you. I think that I'm scared to death of them I would rather stay inside all summer than go outside with them..

The problem is that I love woodworking, and have a shop that is full of bees, wasps, etc. I cant get to them as they are in a type of attic, and they can not be reached without ripping out the roof. Is there any type of a fogger that will kill bees ???? I thought that I bought one before but cant rem where?

there are many bees in the attic and have been fighting them for some time now. Have car bees, that love to drill holes in my nice over hang, and wasps.

What is the best way to get rid of them so I can work in my shop without being bothered. I dont want to wait till winter to get in the shop.

We just bought a new house, and has a shop with many holes, cracks, etc. ??

Any help please Thanx Jody

-- Jody (mpis2@pennswoods.net), April 21, 2002

Answers

Jody,

Simply spend a few bucks on foam strips and caulking. Most of what you see are probably "dirt dobbers" but if you don't like 'em, don't give 'em an entrance.

Dennis

-- Dennis Enyart (westwoodcaprine@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.

well,, determine if they are wasps or are they bees,, since they WONT live together

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 21, 2002.

Jody, I think the regular foggers that you get at the grocery store would work. If your shop has a water heater, turn it off, turn the pilot off first, then ( one evening when they are all in their nests ) set off several of the foggers in the attic, close all the doors and stay out for a couple of days. Don't want you gassing yourself with residual fog. :-)

Perhaps, now that I think on it, very early one morning would be better. In the cool of the morning, they would not be moving, and there won't be any breeze to move out the fog too quickly.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.

I do see your point and raid foggers will work. However, have heard a mother of an asthmatic child curse everything that grows and wants to kill anything that is green. What a lovely world it would be if we all killed everything we feared. Does this give me permission to exterminate anything in a government building ? Because I'm really scared of them and they interfere with my way of life ?

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 21, 2002.

Jody, first educate yourself as mentioned above. There IS a difference in the species. Second, once you identify what is there, check with your County Extension Service and ask them how to handle this. Personally, I have not found any species of this family to be a problem where I live and we have great numbers of bees, wasps and hornets and are lucky to have them. None of them are hostile. Some seem to be drawn to woodworking, don't know why, but they buzz around and then leave. Many of these species and not just the bees, pollinate our food and without them we would not only starve, literaly, but would be without many pleasant flowers. The other species are predators and help get rid of many garden pests. You needn't be nervous about them, they won't hurt you if you are not swatting at them. If you have severe allergic reactions to stings there's meds that help or you do need to figure out how to discourage them from nesting there. Call your County Agent. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), April 21, 2002.

Jody, don't know if this will help, but last summer I had a yellow jacket nest in a crack next to my outside steps. The house is on a terraced hill side and the concrete steps have dirt on both sides starting about halfway up. I didn't pay them much attention until one landed on the back of my leg and stung me. At that point it was them or me! I took the shop vac and put the nozzle right next to the entry and turned it on. I let it run for about 30min at a time in the evening and in the morning as soon as I noticed activity over the next several days. Then, when there didn't seem to be any yellow jackets left I stopped. About a week later there was more activity, so I thought maybe some had just hatched in there so I did it again for a few more days and they were gone. Didn't have to use any chemicals! kim

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.

It's the second time this morning I agree whole heartedly with Joel! hehe.

on The other hand there are rare times you just can't get along. I agree, find out what they are for sure and get in touch with extension to start with....

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), April 22, 2002.

DON'T USE ANY FOGGER OR CHEMICALS. Try fire extinguishers, both the co2 type and the dust type. Protect yourself then spray in areas you expect wasps, hornets if their nests aren't visible. Co2 will freeze the little buggers -- or at least immobilize them long enuf to get at their nests. The foam or dust types are messy but very effective. The problem with foggers and chemicals is that, like roaches, the unborn can absorb the chemical and develop a resistance to it, and you could be hurting beneficial insects. And before you get too hasty with your bees, they are absolutely essential for pollination.

-- susan (dearfarmer@dearfarm.com), April 28, 2002.