[Holland]

Recent ‘Re-paint’…

There we’re massive gaps between the entry door and the surrounding stonework, and the two flanking windows and surrounding stonework.

We used a Mortar Caulk to fill the gaps. It has a sand texture that looks like mortar, and is available in a few different colors and by a couple manufacturers. We chose Mor-Flexx due to local availability.

Everyone who tried working in the area was swarmed by hordes of bees (literally dozens at a time), and it took a while to realize that no one was getting stung. I had originally assumed the previous owner was a beekeeper, as there were stacks of empty beekeeping hives and equipment in back of the house.

The area was overrun by bees or wasps. Everyone who tried working in the area was swarmed by hordes of them (literally dozens at a time). I had originally assumed the previous owner was a beekeeper, as there were stacks of empty beekeeping hives and equipment in back of the house. It took a while to realize that no one was getting stung.

They really didn’t like it when I started caulking the gaps (and I hated to do it, as they were more-or-less friendly up to that point).

Eventually we filled all the cracks near the doors and windows. We left the gaps in near the fascia board as they were too numerous to fill, so they can take up residence there.

*Update: Wasps have been identified as possibly being Black Jackets.

 

[futtyos]

Nice work. Those bees look more like hornets or wasps to me, though.

futtyos

 

[Holland]

Nice work. Those bees look more like hornets or wasps to me, though.

futtyos

yes, possibly- can see now… they have shiny bodies.

I was only stung once, and I had no reaction to its sting, which is unusual. Their sting was milder than most, and they were pretty small.

I feel bad about it, but nuked the immediate site a few times in the mornings, but left the higher nests in tact, as they were so numerous and difficult to get to. *They can call a specialist in the future if they want to.

 

[futtyos]

yes, possibly- can see now… they have shiny bodies.

I was only stung once, and I had no reaction to its sting, which is unusual. Their sting was milder than most, and they were pretty small.

I feel bad about it, but nuked the immediate site a few times in the mornings, but left the higher nests in tact, as they were so numerous and difficult to get to. *They can call a specialist in the future if they want to.

I have rarely seen honey bees making nests in houses whereas hornets and wasps frequently seem to do so.

futtyos

 

[fromthenorthwest]

Didn't know about that product, looks really useful for the situation though.

I once hopped down into a window well not knowing there was a wasp's nest in there. Couldn't get that shoe off fast enough!

 

[jennifertemple]

Nice work. Those bees look more like hornets or wasps to me, though.

futtyos

Yup, them is yellow jackets / wasps!

 

[Joe67]

They sure do look like yellow jackets, but yellow jackets would normally be far more aggressive than that and everyone would have been stung - relentlessly - many times. The paper wasps around where I am are generally dark brown to black, but I think there are yellow striped versions. And it hurts when they sting but they're far more mellow. So I'm wondering if they weren't some manner of paper wasp...?

 

[jennifertemple]

Yellow Jackets live below ground and are an inch or less long, hornts are 1&1/3 inches and up to 2 inches. Otherwise they look very much alike. Hard to say from the pics.

 

[Holland]

…looks like maybe Black Jackets… which would explain why they swarmed use, but (mostly) weren’t aggressive. They were smaller than Eastern Yellow Jackets.

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