A Close One

Today I was mowing the lawn and dodged a bullet. I mowed over a ground dwelling bee's nest without getting stung. This is the third time I've encountered such a menace in my many years of mowing. These bees are sneaky. You can't see their hive because it's underground. The only way to notice them is to see them flying around or in the the entrance. These bees become disturbed by the mower and fly out looking to attack. The cooler weather might have helped me because I didn't get stung. I saw the bees flying around the small hole in the ground only after I had passed over the nest. These bees tend to nest in the short grass in sunny spots in the yard. The first time I ran over a nest I got stung four times. I was dancing and screaming yet strangely reluctant to let go of the bar the keeps the mower running. That was in the back yard. The second time the bees nested in the boulevard and I saw them when I passed close to but not over their nest. This time the nest is halfway between my deck and my pond. I'll mark it with a stake today and poison them tonight when it is cool and dark. The bees will be less active in the cold weather. I tolerate a lot of wildlife in my yard. I usually don't bother with insects that are outside the house. But these ground dwelling bees have got to go.