This week we have seen a reduction in the bee population here at Desert Rat Studio. That doesn’t mean that we no longer have a bee problem.

Doug did a lot of searching on the internet to find the best way to handle the bees that stayed. Some of these bees were only interested in getting nectar from the flowers – yes some of our plants still have flowers – or from the hummingbird feeders. But others were a little more aggressive than we wanted.

• One of the first things that we did was order some beekeepers hats from Amazon. Doug chose a veil that would connect to a hat that he likes to wear most of the time. I chose a hat  that I could wear most of the time with the veil fixed so that I could have it up or down. That way I would have it with me when I work out in the yard, and if the bees get too close, I could drop the veil down over my face without having to go in to get it.
• Next, Doug hunted for ideas of what to do and not to do when the bees are acting aggressive. Some of what he found:
  • Don’t swat at the bees. This makes them more aggressive. Keep your hands and arms STILL. Walk away.
  • Don’t kill the bee. They let out a signal or smell that says “Help Me” and lots of bees will attack.
  • Don’t jump into water. The bees just wait for you to come up and then it is sting time.
  • Wear white or light colors if you know you are going to be close to bees.
  • If you have to run, run in a zig-zag pattern. At least some of the bees fly faster in a straight line.
  • If a bee bumps into you – that is his way of saying “I don’t want to sting you but you’re in my way – move it!” If you don’t take the hint he will most likely sting you. (Doug has been bumped several times this week – he took the hint!.)
  • Then we looked at the hummingbird feeders. Some had lots of bees around them and others had only one or two. What made the difference? Some of our feeders had large ports for the hummingbirds to reach into to get the nectar. Others had “bee guards” that made the portal deeper for the hummingbirds but too deep for the bees to reach the nectar. Others leaked nectar from just above the level of the nectar when the wind blew. (If you know Casa Grande, you know the wind that goes through that city. We are a little west of Casa Grande and we have WIND.) The feeders that leaked drew the most bees. We moved those away from the house, and bought some more feeders that seemed to draw the least bees.

Once I get set up to do podcasting, I think Doug will give a review on this subject.

I’ll keep you up to date on this situation.

Julie Loney