Dirt daubers, on the other hand, are interesting critters. Here, they build long tubes of mud, and lay eggs in cells built as they go. I think they also stock the cells with spiders(?) or other bugs for the developing larvae. I ignore even if they get into the house, because they are intent on nest-building, or dirt-daubing .
Our chocolate Lab, Branch, occasionally grabs one out of the air as it flies by. Sheās very quick on the grab, but Iāve noticed that sheās even quicker to spit it out after sheās nabbed it!
Those big markers you use to cancel out squares on game cards? I wouldnāt have thought anyone would be terrified of them. Were you traumatised by one, perhaps? Given them instead of Crayolas in your formative years?
Believe me, if youāve lived anywhere near Scarborough, Ontario - thereās a wicked Bingo Hall (from memory) that is stuffed with emphysemic octagenarians with oxygen tanks on the sides of their scooters - and they continue to smoke six cigarettes a minute. Really the only way to see them is to get close because the smoke is so thick. The Bingo daubers are raised like weapons and mashing, smashing, crashing on innocent 8" square numbered pages set in rows by the tens and begging to be cast into the trash.
Yes, I have heard about smoky bingo halls from people who do charity volunteer work. Never been to one, myself. No intentions of ever going to one, either.
My husband got stung by a yellowjacket at work yesterday while he was out watering. Today he took the bug spray with him and got the little nest under the eaves, then he noticed more on the bush nearby and saw a fully formed nest right about shoulder level. So he nuked that and all the nearby bushes, and he thinks he got them all.
Iāve only been stung twice, once as a kid when I sat down on the grass and put my hand right on top of a bee who was not happy with me, and the other time I was walking in my yard and a wasp was flying just above ankle level and I walked into him.
Edited to add:
When I was helping my blind friend clear out his late brotherās house a few years ago, there was an old car in the driveway. I opened the trunk to see if his brother had stored anything important in there and it was filled with yellowjackets. I got away fast enough to avoid being stung.
Over the new year holiday a bunch of friends and myself went camping. One afternoon we heard the scream of what we thought was a small girl, but it turned out to be one of my friends shouting as he ran away from a tiny wasp that decided to chase him. It was hilarious to us, watching a man being chased by a bug, his arms flailing as his ran around treeās and doubled back on himself, all the while only evading the wasp by only a few inches. It eventually sensed that he wasnāt a worthy opponent and let him go Fun times.
I just got back from 5 days of visiting my parents in WV and thought Iād share my story of the battle against the yellow jackets. About the time this thread came up, my Mom had been stung on the lip by a yellow jacket. Apparently she was weed-eating the creek bank and came across a nest in the ground. Since then, she has stayed away from the areaā¦only standing back to observe and see what hole they were flying into. Once I got in, we waited until it was dark (yellow jackets will not come out of the hole after dark), poured gasoline down the holes (yes, it was a pricey āsacrificeā, but well worth it), struck a match, tossed it, and POOF!..burn, baby, burn!! The next day at the crack of dawn, my Mom was out digging to see if there were any remains. Luckily, all was burned.
Later that day, I was helping my Dad place netting over the blueberry bushes to keep the birds away when to my surprise I scratched my leg and something under my pants stung me!! I grabbed the pest to keep it away from my skin and ran for the house. Yep, a yellow jacket. Got me nearly on the bum! I consider myself lucky for there to have only been one. I had been standing right over the nest that was in the ground and right after I left there was a swarm of about 40 yellow jackets around where I had been standing. - Later that night, another nest was gassed.
This experience brought back some memoriesā¦
If you are stung by a yellow jacket, you can place ice on it and then dab on baking soda (leaving it on the area for a while). This takes out the āstingā, redness, and most of the swelling. Of course, this is the ācountry remedyā but it worksā¦my mother would tell you to put it on because it ātakes out the poisonā.
To get rid of the yellow jackets, you can pour gasoline in the nest (if it is in the ground and nothing to leak intoā¦such as the creek) and place something over the hole so that no strays can get out or back in. Ohā¦and it is wise to do this at night.
Correction was made to remove ābeesā from the story.
[rant] I know itās just common parlance for a lot of people - who may know or not know better - to refer to yellowjackets, hornets and wasps as ābeesā. I have to say thatās a pet peeve of mine. Bees are having a tough enough time as it is these days without the added insult. Please, letās all raise our consciousnesses and give our apian friends their proper due. Thank you. [/rant]
I canāt think of a more appropriate thought at this time of the year. Thank you, Nano, for bringing this to the fore. Why, I have some potato bees in the garden right now, all shiny black and rummaging around amongst the bracken, who would love to hear you pronounce these noble sentiments as they desanguinate you, as is a beeās wont.
One reference of ābeesā brought on a rant, so please let me share some other methods of handling stings and disposing (used for lack of a better word at this time) of yellow jackets.
From a source titled āInsect Stings Instruction Sheetā:
The two greatest risks from most insect stings and bites are allergic reaction (which may occasionally be fatal) and infection (more likely and less serious).
What to Do:
Bee, Wasp, Hornet, and Yellow Jacket Stings
A bee will leave behind a stinger attached to a venom sac. Try to remove it as quickly as possible. One way is to gently scrape it out with a blunt-edged object, such as a credit card or a dull knife.
Wash the area carefully with soap and water. Do this two to three times a day until the skin is healed.
Apply a cold pack, an ice pack wrapped in a cloth, or a cold, wet washcloth for a few minutes.
Give acetaminophen for pain.
For pain and itching, give an over-the-counter oral antihistamine, if your childās doctor says itās OK; follow dosage instructions for your childās age and weight. You could also apply a corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion to the sting area.
A sting anywhere in the mouth warrants immediate medical attention. Thatās because stings in the mucous membranes of the mouth can quickly cause severe swelling that may block airways. You should seek medical care if you note a large skin rash, a large area of swelling around the sting site, or if swelling or pain persists for more than 72 hours. You should seek immediate medical care if you notice any of the following signs, which may indicate a serious or even potentially life-threatening allergic reaction:
wheezing or difficulty breathing
tightness in throat or chest
swelling of the lips
dizziness or fainting
nausea or vomiting
Shake can upside for 15 seconds before each use.
If you are dealing with wasps, stand at a safe distance from the nest with back facing wind.
Hold can upright and point toward nest opening while spraying.
Spray until nest is saturated.
Wait a minimum of 48 hours before removing nest.
If necessary, repeat these steps.
Yellow Jacket Traps: Model M365
Open yellow jacket traps.
Pour bait into traps and add water to fill line.
Swirl to mix. Note: As yellow jacket traps fill, add water to keep yellow jackets submerged.
Dispose of contents, rinse traps and re-bait.
Hang yellow jacket traps away from activity and where it will not be exposed to high winds. If there are no catches, change the location of the trap.
Do not hang traps near nests.
When tending or disposing of yellow jacket traps, make sure trapped yellow jackets are dead.
Note: Yellow jackets are not normally active at night or in early morning. Therefore, this is the best time to place or tend to the trap. In areas of hot temperatures, yellow jackets prefer the morning sun, afternoon shade.
P.S. Nanoās got a good point; Iāll concede it, except for borer bees (which look just like djmās description of āpotato beesā). Thatās where I draw the line. Those little dive-bombers donāt sting people, they say; fine, then; but thereās a gang of them hereabouts working busily on dismantling my deck railingsā¦a different kind of pain.
Speaking of bees, thereās a wild bee nesting near the masonry of my apartmentās steps, and itās like nothing Iāve seen before. Itās not your usual mason bee, being a beryl-green color, and unlike the genus Agopostemon is furry, stout like a bumblebee but smaller, and doesnāt appear metallic, but maybe thatās the furās doing. Itās not aggressive (my cat sat on its entry while it sleepily hovered about wondering what to do). Anyone know of these? Iāve been searching the web, but no dice.
Nope. Thereās no such thing as āpotato beesā. I made it up. It is a confabulation from āpotato beetleā. I thought that if Nano rants about mistaking wasps for bees, what would he do if I confused beetles with bees? Obviously I was too obscure, even for this board. :shrug:
What would I do? Forget about this thread after my post about the pale green bee. Just remembered it, and was hopingā¦
And I didnāt think you were obscure, just probably relating some kind of handed-down ignorance about which you knew better if you werenāt out-and-out trolling. I figured there were plenty of others to address the issue if they could be bothered. And Iām dismayed you didnāt give me the credit, nay, grovelling thanks, for keeping my rant as brief as I did.
.
Good one! 
Apparently she was weed-eating the creek bank and came across a nest in the ground. Since then, she has stayed away from the areaā¦only standing back to observe and see what hole they were flying into. Once I got in, we waited until it was dark (yellow jackets will not come out of the hole after dark), poured gasoline down the holes (yes, it was a pricey āsacrificeā, but well worth it), struck a match, tossed it, and POOF!..burn, baby, burn!! The next day at the crack of dawn, my Mom was out digging to see if there were any remains. Luckily, all was burned.
I consider myself lucky for there to have only been one. I had been standing right over the nest that was in the ground and right after I left there was a swarm of about 40 yellow jackets around where I had been standing. - Later that night, another nest was gassed. 
