Kelly, at my place the honey bees drove my wasps away but they are addicted to my salt pool and are a pain in the butt. I may try this treatment as we warm up. If you try it first, please report back!
Borjis, said honeybees have driven me to contacting bee keepers and an entomologist, so I’ll share with you their ideas. The bee keepers say it’s happening because the bee keeper in question across the road from me isn’t “watering” his hive. I asked him to and his response was that they live on the river, they don’t need water. Apparently they love my salt and chlorine a lot more than they love the river
So at the bee keeper forum behest, I put out salt blocks and water source in my front yard to distract them last year en route to the pool. It fooled some of them, but once a scout made it to the pool, news would get out. Putting a colorful sponge in the water source distraction helps make it inviting for them to land. You may want to try this to reduce the numbers if nothing else!
The entomologist said posturing violence and beating them to death with a pool noodle would help communicate that this wasn’t a playground, but that you always had to leave one alive to report. It feels mean but it does help. I have guests and family members who are highly allergic to stings, so I have to strike a balance.
Lastly, the ento also told me that chlorine is like alcohol to them, makes em drunk, and they love it...the added salt makes it like a margarita
Since most who forage pool water are near the end of their 40 day worker life, I’m not to feel too guilty about killing them as this is usually their last hurrah. (I still feel guilty killing them. Neighbor gives me lots of free honey.) Once they’re non productive, they fly off to seek water and die, according to ento.
Just wanted to share those tidbits! But I may resort to the chemical warfare in the post kelly referenced...
