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naturalchick27

Lots of bees in my garden

Naturalchick27
12 years ago

This spring and summer I have been planting lots of roses, perennials and various veggies. Is it normal to see bees? Not just one or two but several bees around my roses and vegetables..

Comments (11)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    12 years ago

    That's good. We all depend on bees for our survival.

  • Naturalchick27
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Ok good. I get nervous about getting stung:(

  • Naturalchick27
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I've never been stung before either. And I've never seen so many bees together at one time. What about mosquitos? Whenever I go out to water my garden, I have to bring out fogger spray and spray myself with insect repellant. They are getting really bad compared to past years:(

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    12 years ago

    Oooh I wish I knew what to do about mosquitoes! Besides making a lot of smoke, I don't know. I don't use chems, and would need to be rich to buy enough to do anything about them here anyway. I get an about of 3 bites per minute no matter what time of day or night I go outside - 15 bites in 5 mins. I go in and out all day and refuse to spend that much time coated in stuff, which would get all over my furniture when I go inside to cool off.

    Tiki torches work well but refilling them and moving them around as the wind changes is a PITA. Citronella candles help if they are very smoky. I have a pretty big yard, so none of these are practical unless all you want to do is sit in 1 spot, which I don't. We eat tons of garlic, so that theory is garbage, IMO.

    Staying in the sun is the only thing that really works but OMG my brain starts to boil pretty fast. I usually spend about 15 mins seriously scratching when I come inside.

    I keep saying we should put up some bat houses but that's something that just never seems to get done.

  • gardengal_co
    12 years ago

    Congrats on the Bees. We definitely need bees for pollination. Bees are only able to sting one time, so they are very "picky" about when they are going to sting... in other words they won't sting unless threatened. I have worked next to a plant that had several bees around on it. Peacefully doing what I need to do.. and they just fly away, minding their own business. I also work at a garden center where there are always bees around. None of the workers have been stung. They just work around them or leave the area for a few minutes. Its the guest that might get stung now and then, cause they start flapping their hands and creating chaos, which frightens the bees.

    As already said, wasps are different. They can sting multiple times so are less picky about when they sting. Use a little more caution around them. Enjoy your creation of nature and all that it brings with it. Since I put in a flower garden in my backyard I have enjoyed bees, dragonflies, butterflies, birds, hummingbirds, etc. I love that I have provided a haven for other creatures.

  • Naturalchick27
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    @ purpleinopp~ for mosqitos I use Off "Deep Woods" spray or else I get eaten alive by them.

    @ gardengal~ I have noticed the bees hiding in my sunflowers so I guess that's a good thing :)

  • rkgibbs3
    11 years ago

    Honeybees are pretty laid back it seems. I have finally gotten myself to realize I can keep calm with them around because they really don't mess with people unless you go out of your way to mess with them. Bumble bees around here are mean. I know they don't sting unless they really feel threatened because they will die...but seriously! No matter what house I live in, I usually have at least on bumblebee that "guards" the yard (I do not have any hives near by that I have found and I have searched many areas and even taken peaks at the neighbors just in case so I knew not to go near it). If I go out during certain times of the day, they chase me off, then they fly away for 5-10 minutes then come back. This house isn't as bad as the last too. Here I get longer breaks during the day when "he" is out. At my last 2 houses though, first thing in the morning and until late in the evening, there would be one that would fly near my side door and the only time he would leave was if he chased something away, then he'd be right back.
    Wasps and hornets on the other hand...I can't stand them. I was stung by a wasp and didn't even see the thing until after it stung me! And I have TONS of both in my yard. I'm always having to knock down nests that are being built. They seem to be most active around my house from about 10:30/11am until mid afternoon so I try to do my yard work before and after that part of the day so I don't have as many chasing me around.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    11 years ago

    rkg, I wonder if those bumble bees are the kind that eat holes in wood? If so, they are probably guarding their holes. Do you see any holes in your wood? They like to burrow into the porch roof here, and even put holes in the handle of our grill.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    Those are Carpenter bees, purple. Capable of doing structural damage if there's enough of them. It's the brazen boys that guard the nesting holes. Aren't they funny?

  • JessicaBe
    11 years ago

    My mother in law lives in a log cabin and she has problems with carpenter bees. Those with chase you.

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