BEES!

[rrlund]

So was it really BEES or more then likely wasps????????????????????

Ask again nicely without all the ?????????????? It looks like you're demanding an answer from me.

 

[Dick L]

Some steel blew off the back of the barn last winter. I got the cattle out of there Monday and started getting ready to wean this years calves and put them in there. Didn't want to get on a ladder to work on it until there were all out. I got up on a ladder and started pulling some ragged stuff down and there was a huge bees nest in some straw and baler twine. Luckily they didn't swarm on me. I went and got a can of ether and sprayed that on the nest, but there were too many of them.

I worked slow and careful and whenever too many of them got going, I backed away. I finally had to work right up close and one of them got my right on the back of the wrist on the right hand. I fell from about three rings up on the ladder and fell on the can of ether in my back pocket on the cement. Nothing hurts but the sting. That didn't bother me until I got in and washed up a little.

I've got everything ready to put the new steel on in the morning. I just hope they've calmed down overnight in the cold and don't get going too bad before I get it done.

glad your not laid up from that. sounds like it was close.

In a bale or bales of hay is they were when I got it twice late summer when I tried to pull a bale out of the horse trailer. I am only feeding one horse out of the trailer and when the bale out is gone or one leaf my son inlaw tosses one out for me.

 

[rrlund]

glad your not laid up from that. sounds like it was close.

In a bale or bales of hay is they were when I got it twice late summer when I tried to pull a bale out of the horse trailer. I am only feeding one horse out of the trailer and when the bale out is gone or one leaf my son inlaw tosses one out for me.

I got the steel on this morning. They were real active, but they didn't swarm. I'd work for a few minutes and let them settle down. They're those little yellow honey bees. I guess they must be more docile than your average bee.

 

[old]

Ask again nicely without all the ?????????????? It looks like you're demanding an answer from me.

I ask if they where really bees of if they where wasp which is more likely. Bees get a bad rap way to often and being a former bee keeper it makes a difference to me

 

[MARK ROBKE]

I would get completely rid of them before I put up any metal. You might fall from the ladder again, and/or they may get you next year! I had a nest of some stinging insect that was worse than a hornet. Hornets will chase you if you disturb them. These would just sting you while standing in the large doorway to the barn as they flew past. They were in some old square bales in the back of the barn. It took 2 tries for an exterminator to get rid of them. I have killed a lot of nests before, but these were way too aggressive for me. But my usual way is to use the wasp/hornet spray that shoots 15 feet. It works the best by far, and, keeps me a safe distance away. What you have is some kind of bee/ hornet / maybe yellow jacket. Yellow jackets don't buzz when they attack. Wasp nests I usually knock down and jump back about 10-15 feet and just smash the nest. Getting them at night really is the best idea. The exterminator could not identify mine, so he took one back and had their specialist ID it. Surprisingly, or maybe not, it was not native to Northern Ky where we live. Good luck, Mark.