Bees and yellow jackets!!!

[julie492]

Now and newer problem...what the heck do we do about all the bees and yellow jackets around the pool for water? They are so bad during the day...no one can get in the pool to swim comfortably. there are so many flying around and coming and going for water...that my 4yr old son has been stung three times already and is scared to go to the pool now. They splash water at them to shoo them away..but they just keep coming. They stop coming we've noticed by the time the day cools down around 7pm or so...but that only leaves us all only a good hour to hour and half before dark to swim and play. I don't have 1400.00 right now to buy a sun dome for it....so any suggestions????

[frustratedpoolmom]

You've got a nest nearby. There shouldn't be that many. I'd try to locate it and eradicate it.

Also we love these traps:
http://www.biconet.com/traps/PICtrap.html

Bought at Menards

They work great, when our yellow jackets are bad, starting mid august....

[257WbyMag]

First off, do you have flowers that are attracting the bees. It might be something to look at.

Some folks confuse yellow jackets with paper wasps. Having some pest control experience, I may be able to tell the difference when others aren't able to. If the wasps are large, you probably have paper wasps. These are the ones that build open comb nests under your eaves and may have up to 50 or 60 adults on the nest in late summer. Just look around for nests in the general area. Raid is the answer. Soak the nest good after dark. However, if the wasps are small, bright yellow and black, and do a lot of hovering in flight, you have true yellow jackets and read on.

Yellow jackets...totally different story here. Yellow jackets (not paper wasps), live in colonies of up to 5000 individuals. They can live in the ground or in aerial nests. With these guys (actually, it's the gals that sting), you should observe their flight patterns. If you have a lot of yellow jackets, odds are, there is a nest close by. Watch them fly and determine which direction they are coming from. Carefully and avoiding getting in their way, try to follow them back to their origin. If you can locate where they are coming from such as a hole in the ground or a hollow tree, you can then hire an exterminator to get rid of them for you. Yellow jackets are dangerous, venomous insects and their nests are not something that a person can generally kill off with cans of Raid. To safely eliminate them requires special chemicals (Drione dust and duster) and equipment (fully encapsulated bee suit).

For what it's worth, the little traps that you see for sale do little to help with true yellow jackets and may serve to simply attract more to the area. An exterminator is the best person to deal with them. And tell your kids to not splash or swat at them. I am highly allergic to all hymenoptera (insects that sting) and have learned the hard way. Of course, kids tend to panic and this is understandable. It is best to explain to them that when they are away from their nest, they are not on the defensive and are simply looking for a drink. They will go about their business after they get their water.

[randytsuch]

The problem I have is that they get too close to the water, and end up in the water.

I've been stung one, and my kids once or twice, over many years.

The kids now watch for bees/wasps in the water, and make me get them out with the skimmer when they see one.

Randy

[frustratedpoolmom]

I think we have both... I've seen those open nests you described occasionally - didn't know that was what those were called. They are bigger, and seem to have more black or brown to their color? We do get the true yellow jackets beginning mid august, and we put the traps opposite the pool deck, near the shed to draw them away from us.

Great info, thanks for sharing.

[AnnaK]

Any tips on horse and deer fly control? We started getting them a couple of years ago after a horse boarding place opened two lots over. They are mean and vicious (the flies, not the horse people) and keep us from the pool during the hot part of the day. Are there traps we could put up away from the pool somewhere?

[numberonenole]

I love this website! This is a problem that I have been having and was just going to post for some advice!

We have had hundreds of small (1/2 inch) bees in our pool recently. I saw this black glob floating towards the skimmer and went to investigate, thinking it was maybe a leaf? When I got close I realized it was several little bees that were climbing on top of each other trying to get out of the water! There were also lots of loners swirling around. These are black with two yellow colored stripes so I'm not sure if they are bees or wasps or hornets. I could see wings on some of them not not on others. I thought it was a one time deal, but saw more of these things again yesterday. I have not seen any nests and the pool is back away from the house, but near trees, so I am not sure if they fell out of a nest in the trees or if there is a nest underneath the top rail of my pool. I'm scared to put my hand blindly up in there to feel around! Who knows what else is taking shelter up there!

So, could there be a nest under the top rail of the pool, and how to I check to see what is up in there without losing a hand? Thanks!

[TomU]

So, could there be a nest under the top rail of the pool, and how to I check to see what is up in there without losing a hand? Thanks!

What about using a handheld mirror (like one would use to do their hair)?

[257WbyMag]

There are literally hundreds of different types of bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets. Here are some common ones...

[257WbyMag]

Any tips on horse and deer fly control? We started getting them a couple of years ago after a horse boarding place opened two lots over. They are mean and vicious (the flies, not the horse people) and keep us from the pool during the hot part of the day. Are there traps we could put up away from the pool somewhere?

There is very little that you can do to eliminate them. Spraying programs just don't work very well in those cases. An insect repellent with DEET will keep them from biting but that won't help you when you are in the pool.

[257WbyMag]

I love this website! This is a problem that I have been having and was just going to post for some advice!

We have had hundreds of small (1/2 inch) bees in our pool recently. I saw this black glob floating towards the skimmer and went to investigate, thinking it was maybe a leaf? When I got close I realized it was several little bees that were climbing on top of each other trying to get out of the water! There were also lots of loners swirling around. These are black with two yellow colored stripes so I'm not sure if they are bees or wasps or hornets. I could see wings on some of them not not on others. I thought it was a one time deal, but saw more of these things again yesterday. I have not seen any nests and the pool is back away from the house, but near trees, so I am not sure if they fell out of a nest in the trees or if there is a nest underneath the top rail of my pool. I'm scared to put my hand blindly up in there to feel around! Who knows what else is taking shelter up there!

So, could there be a nest under the top rail of the pool, and how to I check to see what is up in there without losing a hand? Thanks!

Sound like bald-faced hornets to me. Look at the picture.

If you have them and they are nesting in a confined space such as under a deck, control is best left to a pro to do. They are meanies!

[julie492]

We have yellow jackets, dont' see any paper wasps here...at least not yet. Can't really follow them because they fly off over our back pasture and its full of rose hedges and tall grass...so they are coming from somewhere there or further back in the woods.

[reindeerboy]

We use a product called TEMPO. Its an awesome product that keeps the bees away from our pool area. Try googling it online. Works on mice, mosquitos, bees, ants ect. I swear it works and I faithfully use it the night before we plan to swim in the pool. Never have to worry usually.

Hope that helps ya some.

[Vickery]

Thanks for the tip on the Bald Faced hornets! I thought they were another version of mud dauber and haven't paid them any attention. Now that I know they're mean I'll probably get stung! We live next to a swamp - 5' from the pool - so we get a bunch of critters and of course lots of frogs (mainly tree frogs) who come to feed on them. We also have a few thousand dragonflies. They certainly cut down on the 'skeeters and seem to keep bees and wasps away as well.

[phipsi1237]

I'm not sure if it's bees or yellow jackets. I'm leaning towards bees. We have lots and lots of them. They cover out solar sun rings around the eyelets that lay in the water. They don't seem to be aggressive at all. We have 8-10 tall palm trees in the yard, along with 10 or so smaller palm tree looking things. Some are bushy. Some are not.

I've read online that honeybees need water to make honey. We don't see nests in any of the trees. I also read that to get rid of them, drain the pool for a couple of weeks. They'll find a new watering hole. This isn't a likely option. It said if you can't drain, add some vinegar to the water. It didn't say how much, and I have no idea what that would do to the chemistry.

Any thoughts?

EDIT: Took a photo

[Ohm_Boy]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned... Ground-nesting yellow jackets have TWO holes in the ground into/out of their nest. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can attack them at the nest entrance, unless you KNOW where their back door is.

[phipsi1237]

Added a photo...

[RobbieH]

Those true yellow jackets are a true pain in the arse. I have been around them when they've truly been offensive (as in not just defensive). Camping, eating a sandwich, and suddenly start getting stung. Even just standing around outside the tent, no food in hand, and bam! Oh and if you ever run over the exit hole with a mower, you'll know pretty soon. I can deal with bees and wasps, but those dang yellow jackets are the worst.

[phipsi1237]

So that photo I posted is a yellow jacket? I'm in Las Vegas, so there's no grass to mow!!!

[RobbieH]

That's a bee.