Bees and yellow jackets!!!
- Thread starter julie492
- Start date
x2 that is a Honey bee. I've read somewhere (think it was here) that honey bees follow the same paths and they drink either going to or coming from their nests. Find which way they are flying and you can create another source of water for them.
I had the bee/wasp/hornet problem (yes I had all of them) a couple of years ago. Somebody here suggested that I bring my borate level up. Did that and have not had a problem since. Even the mosquitos seem to not like it. (ants do not seem to mind it though)
That is not a yellow jacket (wasp).
mcoonan said:
Borates are toxic to insects. Boric acid is the active ingredient in many ant and roach baits. It would make sense for them not to like it too much.
how does the borate affect people swimming though if you bring up the borate level?
Borates are often recommended for folks to add to their pools to control pH levels and improve the feel of the water. It is not harmful to swim in water with borates added.
Julie, the pool schooll artical say it best:julie492 said:
so-you-want-to-add-borates-to-your-pool-why-and-how-t4921.html
1) more stable pH
2) Algaestatic properties
3) reduced chlorine usage
4) silkier feeling water--less skin and eye irritation
5) clearer, 'sparkling' water
I think that they need to add the bee/wasp/hornet solution in there! LOL
Mike
Hi all,
I've been noticing quite a few dead honey bees around my yard, mostly near the pool. Could the pool water be killing them? I don't mind honey bees generally, so I'd rather not harm them if I can avoid it. I had my interlocking stone resealed this week, so maybe the sealant? I sprayed herbicide on my lawn just once this year, and that was 2 months ago. I'm wondering what's killing my honey bees.
Thanks.
I've been noticing quite a few dead honey bees around my yard, mostly near the pool. Could the pool water be killing them? I don't mind honey bees generally, so I'd rather not harm them if I can avoid it. I had my interlocking stone resealed this week, so maybe the sealant? I sprayed herbicide on my lawn just once this year, and that was 2 months ago. I'm wondering what's killing my honey bees.
Thanks.
DO NOT run over a yellow jacket nest with a big noisy lawn mower tractor. especially when it's really hot out. They do not appreciate it, not one bit!
Neither did my skin.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Neither did my skin.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Jeeprs69
0
My Sister was stung by Bumble Bee on eye lid. My parents tried everything- meat tenderizer,tabacco, etc. Nothing worked. Hotel Maid saw her and asked what happened. She then asked if we had a onion. She cut a chunk and squeezed it. Rubbed the juice on the sting. within minutes the swelling had gone down.
My Dad and I raised Honey Bees when I was young and we asked at a Bee keeping Seminar about the onion. They actually said it is one of the best things to use on a sting. It neutralizes the poison in the sting. it was tested many times over. Works great.....
My Dad and I raised Honey Bees when I was young and we asked at a Bee keeping Seminar about the onion. They actually said it is one of the best things to use on a sting. It neutralizes the poison in the sting. it was tested many times over. Works great.....
Does anyone have a solution for sweat bees? I have an unnatural fear of them, I am getting goose bumps just typing this. Our pool is beautiful and crystal clear thanks to tfp, but I don't enjoy it because of these little bees... The kids however don't seem to mind 
Reviving old thread because I am at whitts end. I have followed the bees and they leave my yard so the hive is not in my yard so eliminating that isn't an option. Called exterminator and it's illegal for him to kill honeybees. Tried alternate water source and they aren't interested, my guess is because there are so many and the pool is bigger. It's above ground so screening it in isn't an option. I've tried every supposed bee repellant on the internet. I've even tried smoking them away with a zillion tiki torches. I'd kill them myself if they weren't basically hiding out on the inside wall of the pool right above the water so if I used insecticide it would get in the pool and if I used the dish soap trick it would also get in the pool (and no idea what it does to the water balance). If I swish them away 1) I then have 30 bees swarming around me and 2) they land back in the same place before I could get them all anyway
We live in the south, it's summer break with many kids and will hit 100 degrees soon. We can't just spend the summer on the kindle, please help!!!!
So tell me about raising borates? My worry is my alkalinity and ph are already perfect (6000 gallon above ground vinyl pool with swg, alkalinity is 80 and ph is 7.5) so if I start adding borates it's going to mess with that, correct? But I'll do anything to get rid of the bees.
We live in the south, it's summer break with many kids and will hit 100 degrees soon. We can't just spend the summer on the kindle, please help!!!!
So tell me about raising borates? My worry is my alkalinity and ph are already perfect (6000 gallon above ground vinyl pool with swg, alkalinity is 80 and ph is 7.5) so if I start adding borates it's going to mess with that, correct? But I'll do anything to get rid of the bees.
n240sxguy
Well-known member
Your ph and TA need to be perfect before adding borates. Maybe that would get rid of them for you. If you go that route, I just bought my boric acid from bulkapothecary.com. Best price around, and cheaper and easier than doing borax and acid.
So will it effect my ta and ph? Because I know I use borax to adjust ph and. Iraq has boric acid so a tad worried. Just want to make sure to have everything on hand I need. I already have boric acid because we live in the south so use it to curtail bugs from taking up residence in the house.
Also, I thought I read in adding borates or maybe in the borates thread that it was toxic to pets. Should I worry about adding borates with small children? I know we only use boric acid under cabinets etc because of this but would it be an issue diluted in the pool?
I also just ordered a fountain hoping that would deter them but have to wait for it to arrive. And we're going to try adding salt to our alternate water source since they seem to like the salt pool but ignore the other water. I watch my nieces and nephew in the summer so between my kids and them there are as many as 9 kids at one time and I can't have them destroying the house all day because they can't go outside.
Also, I thought I read in adding borates or maybe in the borates thread that it was toxic to pets. Should I worry about adding borates with small children? I know we only use boric acid under cabinets etc because of this but would it be an issue diluted in the pool?
I also just ordered a fountain hoping that would deter them but have to wait for it to arrive. And we're going to try adding salt to our alternate water source since they seem to like the salt pool but ignore the other water. I watch my nieces and nephew in the summer so between my kids and them there are as many as 9 kids at one time and I can't have them destroying the house all day because they can't go outside.
borjis
LifeTime Supporter
Every year I have to check behind my gutters for paper wasp nests.
Sure enough 2 weeks ago there were 2 of them just getting started building.
Got out the raid and wiped them out.
Last year I had two different days of a VERY aggressive honey bee.
This bee was relentless in terrorizing the guests. I finally killed it
and noticed it looked very much like an Africanized honey bee.
They are not to be trifled with. Never seen such aggression in one before.
I had heard they've been seen mostly in the southern region, so
I guess they make there way up here sometimes in the hot
summer months.
Sure enough 2 weeks ago there were 2 of them just getting started building.
Got out the raid and wiped them out.
Last year I had two different days of a VERY aggressive honey bee.
This bee was relentless in terrorizing the guests. I finally killed it
and noticed it looked very much like an Africanized honey bee.
They are not to be trifled with. Never seen such aggression in one before.
I had heard they've been seen mostly in the southern region, so
I guess they make there way up here sometimes in the hot
summer months.
I have Yellowjacket nests in my yard from time to time. Here is an example from one a couple years ago. Yellowjackets! - YouTube
n240sxguy
Well-known member
You target 50ppm borates in the pool. No-one should be drinking pool water, but it would take a couple gallons a day to harm a person. With animals they may only drink from one source, so if they make that source the pool it could hurt them. How big is your pool? You use a lb of boric acid for just over 400 gallons. I put 75lbs in my 30k gallon pool.
Hi! I'm new here and have been looking up the same thing. I have an Intex pool and the top lip around the top of the pool seems to be where the bees are drinking water from. Its seems to be 95% only in that small gap where the liners are glued and then there is separation at the top. I cut a pool noodle and stuffed it in the holes by the T-Joints in case they were in the walls at the top. I don't think they are but one less water source. They don't drink much from the pool water itself often, mostly its the part at the very top of of liner that has rain water or overflow water. I'm sure its less chemicals and chlorine. I was thinking of stapling the top of the liner shut (its for overlow) but don't want any holes at all in liner, no matter how safe it looks, and then thought about plastic packing tape over the liner gap at the top where the water is collecting. I cant even get on a raft to relax in the pool because the waves make the frame move a little bit for their liking. Yesterday I simply threw in a solar ball in the pool and it upset them to get them buzzing all around. Also, I believe this is now causing bats. Although tacky, I may resort to my packing tape and replacing it where it loses its sticky stuff. I have no other ideas what to do. Between that, the TEMPO dust, and maybe sprinkling some borax in the liner lip around the pool and if it splashes in pool, no big deal. Although not sure what it will do to my liner. I don't know what to suggest. Taping is last resort. Is this the same issue? I wanted to rehome the bees but they aren't coming from my pool, they are merely visiting it seems.
I wish I could tell you borax works, but it has not made a difference for me in terms of keeping out bees. I would highly recommend it for water quality (low chlorine levels, soft water, no algae). I have been using borax in my pool for about 3 years now (BBB method....well I use Chlorox, Muriatic Acid, and Baking Soda to maintain....will never go back to the old way). The borate level in my pool is about 40ppm. We started with just a couple of honey bees about a month ago hanging around the hot tub and drinking where it spills over. Two became four, four became eight and so on. Now we typically have 20 -30 there most of the time. It has made the hot tub unusable, and the pool not nearly as enjoyable. I called the local beekeeper association hoping there was a solution to remove them without killing them. They basically told me I am going to have to kill them. What is strange is there is a creek about 75-100 yards from my pool, and when they fly off into the woods they are heading right in that direction. I started killing them yesterday with a fly swatter. I killed around 35, and I will just keep doing that until hopefully I can break the trend.
If anyone has a better solution I would welcome it. Finding the hive would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.