# Bees in the Wood Pile..



## CK-1 (Jul 17, 2012)

I'm in the process of building a wood shed over my existing wood pile.  Every year those pesky wasps like to make nests at varous locations in the pile.   Once I have my shed built, is there a product I can use to deter bees from the wood??.   When the shed is done, these wasps will have many more places to make nests...


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## woodsmaster (Jul 17, 2012)

Bees or wasp ? Pictures ?


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## DMZX (Jul 17, 2012)

The ones in my woodpiles are paper wasp.  They are; not very aggressive, don't really bother me, help pollinate my garden plants, eat bugs that do bother me, and are gone (dead) when cold weather arrives, so I, leave them alone.


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## Backwoods Savage (Jul 17, 2012)

We've had some before and just not worried too much about them. By the time we are ready to use the wood, they are gone or dormant.


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## osagebow (Jul 17, 2012)

If they are the small, umbrella shaped nests with visible cells, with brown wasps, they are not agressive. They are"good guys" for the garden, as a previous poster said. We usually have phoebe birds nest on our eaves inches from these wasps. (security system) ?

However, If you get an egg shaped grey nest with black and yellow hornets coming from a single hole in the bottom, go to war ASAP.  Night ops ,preferably. They'll probably fire first, though. Our neighbor kid decided he was going to kill an underground nest with a weed whacker last week.. He's ok, but learned a little sumpthin'


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## mywaynow (Jul 18, 2012)

osagebow said:


> If they are the small, umbrella shaped nests with visible cells, with brown wasps, they are not agressive. They are"good guys" for the garden, as a previous poster said. We usually have phoebe birds nest on our eaves inches from these wasps. (security system) ?
> 
> However, If you get an egg shaped grey nest with black and yellow hornets coming from a single hole in the bottom, go to war ASAP. Night ops ,preferably. They'll probably fire first, though. Our neighbor kid decided he was going to kill an underground nest with a weed whacker last week.. He's ok, but learned a little sumpthin'


 
Best thing for those ground hornets/yellow jackets is a big wet vac.  I found 3 nests a few weeks ago, in the plant beds around my house.  I take the vac and place the hose at the entry to the nest and let her run.  After a few minutes I give the ground a prod and watch them exit the nest just to be sucked up with the vac.  Once the bulk are gone I use the vac to suck up the dirt enroute to the nest which will also be sucked into the vac.  Just don't open the vac for a couple days!


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## CK-1 (Jul 18, 2012)

Its the brown wasps mostly, the with small cell like nests.  Once the winter air turns cold they do disappear.   So, these are the, "good guys" huh?..     I also see them around my pickup truck as well and sometimes find those dirt nests with the hole in it under my truck.   Sometimes I notice around 1 or 2 of these nests near my front porch.   It seems the birds like to mess around with them from time to time...


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## Gasifier (Jul 18, 2012)

The other day my five year old daughter got stung outside and was in tears with a sting on her arm. I had to destroy that nest because it was right where the kids play all the time. The wasp had just started building it. Wasn't very big. Then I came across some bees in one of my piles the other day when I was splitting some wood. I took note of them and thought I will leave them alone. I like bees and they seem to be having a hard time lately. Then I forgot about them.  And when I got to close to the nest one of them came out and taught me a lesson with a nice sting in my hand.  That nest got destroyed as well. Don't like to do it, but sometimes you have to.


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## ScotO (Jul 18, 2012)

osagebow said:


> If they are the small, umbrella shaped nests with visible cells, with brown wasps, they are not agressive. They are"good guys" for the garden, as a previous poster said. We usually have phoebe birds nest on our eaves inches from these wasps. (security system) ?
> 
> However, If you get an egg shaped grey nest with black and yellow hornets coming from a single hole in the bottom, go to war ASAP. Night ops ,preferably. They'll probably fire first, though. Our neighbor kid decided he was going to kill an underground nest with a weed whacker last week.. He's ok, but learned a little sumpthin'


I bumped into the railroad ties that surround my garden with the lawn tractor while mowing the grass on the 4th........looked back to a ball of ground wasps (we call 'em yellow jackets) chasing me!   Waited for them to settle down, got a mapp gas torch and lit 'er up, shoved 'er into the hole they were coming out of and let the tank run empty! Had to spray some stragglers, and that railroad tie sure did stink up the backyard because she was charred just a tad, but that ended the bees nest. I love to see the honeybees and brown wasps doing their thing around the property, but I hate them damm yellow jackets and white faced hornets!


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## osagebow (Jul 18, 2012)

hahaha.... pure guts mywaynow! biggest......in maine also. I would not try that, i'd be a youtube sensation for sure. I get pyro-ey like Scotty usually. 

Unless the nest is under my slab stoop. Then I concrete it shut, forcing 20-30 yellow jackets to suffocate...untill they find a way to freedom -
Through the foundation and into my basement.

One of my wife's favorite stories, of course.Usually stars with: "So Mr. Biology teacher scientist here.... " Don't try that, CK!


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