On 25 Jun 2003 05:52:08 -0700, (Beecrofter) wrote:

(Leo Shea) wrote in message . com...
I was in my garage last night when I picked up a mop and discovered a
bunch of bees underneath the mop on the garage floor! It was pretty
dark in that corner of the garage even with the lights on, but I did
see that they looked fairly large.

After I picked up the mop they made a buzzing noise but didn't leave
the floor immediately. 10-15 seconds later one took off at which
point I ran back into the house. I never noticed them in the garage
before, and I have been in the garage a few times lately (I don't park
in the garage).

Any idea what kind of bees these may be? And how safe would it be to
open the garage door at night, spray them with wasp/hornet spray from
15-20 ft. away, then run? They're against the left wall of the garage
close to the garage door.

Thanks,
Leo


First time out of the condo unescorted?

Now, now--be nice. (heh, heh!) My first encounter, 25 years ago,
with a carpenter bee scared the bejeezus out of me. Heard this
buzzing sound at the end of a pile of 4x4's, bent down to look closer
at the one with 3 neatly bored holes in the cut off end, when out he
came! He sounded like (and looked big as) an overloaded B25 on
take-off! Yikes!

A single bee flew up after being disturbed and you are in a panic?
Here is what you most likely have.
Bumblebees who have made their home in the remains of an old mouse
nest behind or under your old mop. Or have just used the mop itself as
conditions were similar to an old mouse nest which these bees prefer.
Now odd as it may sound you might just be able to coexist with them
and benefit from their presence by improved garden and wildflower
pollination.
Walk outside the back of the garage in the daylight and see if they
are coming and going by a crack near the garage wall /floor.
If you want to keep them put a few rags over the mop inside the garage
and allow them to come and go out the wall.
If you insist on destroying them put a half cup of dish detergent in a
bucket of water and pour it over the mop and nest and soak it
thoroughly.
I keep honeybees in an absolutely bee-proof T shirt and flip flops.
Don't go killing anything until you learn a little about it, you might
just want to share some space with it.

A most interesting slant, Tom!

After last summer's plague of yellow jackets (stop calling 'em "bees"
willya, people!) I find I take much more kindly to the other more
peaceful (though equally well-armed) members of the insect world.
[OK, black widders excepted]

I can now watch with benign interest those industrious little honey
bees, paper wasps, and mud daubers, as they go about their business.

--John W. Wells

Tom