Close one yesterday- bees

With the recent storm knocking some large trees over nearby and around the property thats all I have been doing + some finishing up for this years wood, mostly taking dry tops of dead elm, or anything that will dry down like black cherry the the rest is next years and beyond. So while preparing areas to make stacks, the top of a single stack thats been there since last January had a wheel barrow or so of pieces fall off into a small ditch between the stack and a small slope, while cleaning that up, I hear the buzz by my right shoulder and had an unexpected passenger! First glance I thought it was a darned bald faced or white faced hornet, sun shining on it made it look so. I tossed my hammer, gloves, ran off a bit, knew to twitch my long short sleeve shirt to displace him, now he had landed way long enough to sting but did not. Got him off, but he chased a short distance, then that was it. So I go back over, I know something is up, I did get all the pieces that fell out of the ditch, this happened again, yikes.... ok, so I watch, finally.... bumble bees, or the green and black ones, seems to me there is a type of these that bore into soft dry wood like pine, so maybe they moved into the old 2x4 dunnage under the stack. It was cool out, but they were still busy, and these have pollinated my nearby garden, I saw very few honey bees, just bumble bees since early spring, apples, pears and apricot trees were pollinated by them as I observed. Maybe because it was cool out, they were not so aggressive or numerous, but when that sucker landed on me, had just expected the sting, never happened LOL !! Never noticed these at all this summer even trimmed the grass in that area to the dirt, bees are something else, maybe I got a reprieve, well they can stay, we need em or so it seems !

We pulled a 1/4 mile of old wooden fence posts out awhile back, pulled one, and there was big nest of ground bees around it. My dog got stung a few times, neighbor got it twice, I lucked out. Later that evening a quart of gas took care of them.

Picking up and pulling some woven wire fence, wife riled up a yellow jacket nest. Got a nasty sting on the wrist. Swolen and sore for a couple days. Next day, I was working on same fence, llama was over checking it all out, and reaching for some grass through the fence, she got stung on the muzzle. Made several head shaking loops in the pasture before she chased it off. Was comical, if I hadn't empathized with her hurt. A few days later I was able to get after the underground nest, after several applications of insecticides. Nest would have filled a #10 can to the brim... Lots of larva - must have been a prosperous nest.

After observing this morning these are going in and out of a hole in the ground, bottom of a ditch, but no water drains through it, just the way the slope and where my future barn will be. I saw workers yesterday, this morning, a few much larger bumble bees were flying around it, not aggressively, just going about whatever they do. At least its in a place thats harmless, well except where some of the wood fell, which I removed, probably confused them. I was standing right over the hole yesterday, so they may have just been confused, not threatened, hence the reason I did not get stung, but that sucker landing on me sure made me move quick, I know better, they mark you with that pheromone, you are done unless you get to safety instantly ! Its no wonder now, as to why thats all I saw in my garden and they will let you know they are busy, several times I've been buzzed by em checking me out.

I was cutting a hay field last week, there was a big paper wasp nest on the ground by the tree line, about the size of a big water melon. I figured it was empty, ran it right through the discbine. It was NOT empty and the residents were NOT happy! They were till there and still annoyed three days later. After several passes with the tedder they finally moved on...

I'm kind of encouraged- seeing lots more gen-u-ine honey bees the last couple of years. Many thought they would go extinct, from a couple of maladies that wiped out hives.

Years ago, we had a hay field, probably five acres of which was infested with numerous bumble bee nests. Cutting, raking and baleing had them pretty upset. Had to wait to gather bales until after dark. Uncle owned the baler - would never consider baling onto wagon, always dropped "em on the ground.

I'll leave this nest alone, just for that reason, its right close to my gardens and every bit as efficient as honeybees, seemingly not aggressive, well if your not standing on the front door and blocking there entrance! Must be a low in honeybees around here, I just don't see them, well this year, a friend wants to set up a couple of hives here, so that may change.