I learned about bees.
I needed to think like a bee.
Be the bee.
I surfed the internet.
I talked to co-workers.
I called an exterminator...
He listed carefully.
He told me I did not have a nest in the tree.
Keep looking.
Hmm, but how to find the nest ... hmm.
Then I stumbled upon this!
"Bee Lining" for Fish Bait: Bee lining is a method by which a person may locate a yellow jacket nest by observing foragers as they return to their colony with food. A freshly caught small fish should be diced slightly on the exterior with a knife and hung in a tree about 5 to 6 feet off the ground. Foraging yellow jackets will be attracted to the raw fish and will chew off a tiny particle of the meat. By close observation, a person can follow the flight line of the yellow jacket back to her nest. The foraging yellow jacket will normally make a "bee line" straight to the nest which is often no more than 1,000 yards from the food source. Fishermen have been known to use this procedure to discover yellow jacket nests and use the grub as excellent fish bait.
I emailed my clever wife immediately.
So now, let's review:
We have hundreds and thousands of bees.
The party is getting closer.
We still don't know where they live.
But we have a plan.
10 comments:
A 1000 yds? That's 10 football fields! I sure do hope you find the nest AND in an accessible location!
Sounds like you have a "swarm" but I thought only honeybees swarmed... Of course, I guess I am wrong about that.
Can't wait to find out how this goes!
Please take a picture of the fish!
All I can think of when I read this is Syd's post about K hanging dead fish in the trees!
LOL @ Sassy. I thought of the same thing. I wish I was there...I love to go fishing.
The plan is everything...usually.
Luck in finding and convincing those bees to move somewheres else.
Yikes! I can't wait for the next installment....what happened???
I can't help thinking about that young adult novel where the kid dies from a bee sting. So, let me just say, um, be (pun acknowledged) careful.
Why do bees like fish?
If you don't know where the nest is, how do you know where to hang the bait?
When is this party of yours?!
this is such a fascinating story I had to do a little research myself. This is from a Dept of Defense website.. "Later in the summer, when wasps need less protein because they aren't rearing their young, sweet baits such as jam, honey or rotting fruit are often more attractive." I'm thinking the Feds have put a lot of research dollars into this. Maybe you should rethink the fish thing.
We be(e) needing an update!
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