Busy Bee

Recently I discovered a colony of bees that were just a little too busy around my front entrance. These are not the usual kind of bees that you would see nesting underneath the house-siding or in a tree. These bees were what you call "ground bees". Please note that I refer to these critters in the past tense. Through an Internet search I discovered that there really are such creatures as "ground bees". They prefer the dry soil up near the foundation where a normal rain cannot reach, protected mostly by eaves. How to get rid of these little pests became the project of the week on my "honey do" list. We have grandkids that come frequently through this area and I’ve heard that bees are attracted to "sweet things"..which my grandkids are...most of the time.

I discovered that the best method for verminating was to boil a big pot of water, grab an old window screen or screen mesh, toss over the entrance hole and then immediately pour the boiling water over the mesh into the hole. The mesh blocks their escape....and you know what the boiling water does. I might add, once you have poured out all the boiling water...then run like the wind...back into the safety of the house! Now here’s the real trick. This must be done in the dark while these critters are sleeping, like at 10:00 PM. It's really dark at 10pm! After checking the area this morning, I can proudly say.."mission accomplished". Now if President Obama was chastised for swatting a fly during an interview what should I expect if a wild-eyed "greenie" reads about this wholesale slaughter perpetrated last evening. I guess I could be in "hot water".