worth1 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 1:46 pm Years ago when I was around 16 or 17 we had our onions stored in the barn on some plywood.
The bumblebees made a big nest under the plywood.
My dad went down to run them out and he told my mom and I to stay away.
It was about 100 yards from the house.
My mom never listened and she made herself and I go check on him.
Not a good idea and I told her as much.
He was out in the barnyard fighting off the bees with a pump sprayer and was surrounded by the bumblebees.
A whole cloud of them but he was holding his own.
We were about 50 yards away and the cloud of bees took off after us.
I took off when they got closer and my mom didn't.
So they converged on her.
I looked back and saw her being swarmed by the things and she was flapping her arms yelling for me to come back.
Come back you s of a b she yelled, come back!
I ran like a coward to the house to save my own skin.
My dad had his own bees to worry about.
After it was all over my mom was mad as hell I didn't stick around and get stung too.
No telling how many times she got stung.
My dad took up for me for running off and not hanging around to get swarmed too.

By the next day my mom's head looked like a swollen pumpkin and both her eyes were swollen shut.
It was like that for days and she couldn't see.
Thankfully I could cook so we didn't starve.

That of all reasons is why I developed an ability to stay calm around these critters.
I've managed to get along with them and know what sets them off.
One time I got a honeybee in my bee veil and it stung me on the eye lid.
I was blind out of it for almost a week.

Bower wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 5:25 pm Bumblebees won't sting unless it's a life or death situation. They can only sting once, and then they die.
This is why they are easy to get along with, they just aren't inclined to sting for no reason.
Honeybees can sting repeatedly and it does them no harm.
Likewise the wasps, make a living out of stinging!

Bower wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 5:25 pm Bumblebees won't sting unless it's a life or death situation. They can only sting once, and then they die.
This is why they are easy to get along with, they just aren't inclined to sting for no reason.
Honeybees can sting repeatedly and it does them no harm.
Likewise the wasps, make a living out of stinging!

karstopography wrote: ↑Thu Jun 15, 2023 5:26 pm IMG_1763.jpegIMG_1760.jpegIMG_1761.jpegIMG_1762.jpeg

The swallowtail caterpillars have taken over the dill. There must be three dozen caterpillars or more out on maybe three dinky dill plants.