Killer Bees

[Charles]

Who in the southern states will quit the lawn care biz when the killer bees come to town? Saw on the news where they are spreading like crazy. Texas, California, arizona, navada. Has anyone come into contact with these demons? They said on the news tonight that they will chase you for a quarter of a mile and will sting you for up to an hour. They respond to vibrations and dont have to be touched to attack. One guy on the news was stung 250 times. Another woman was stung 500 times and died with fireman there trying to help her and they were getting stung.
I might consider retiring if the show up in SC. They will make yellow jackets seem like horseflies(which hurt like hail too by the way

[mdb landscaping]

it reminds me of a movie i saw where the killer bees totally engulfed the house and killed most of the cast. i think if it gets that bad, people wont be worrying too much if their lawn gets cut that week or not.

[Charles]

I saw that movie lol. Just the sound of music(vibration) ticked the bees off. They say the bees have spread to 30+ more counties in texas.
I know virbration from a mower would really piss them off.
In LA they attacked a woman as she visited a conveinance store. They are nesting i the cities....The threart is real and they can tolerate cold weather

[1MajorTom]

I did not see the news report, but was wondering are they expected to travel to northern states also?

How do they get rid of them? Or do they just continue to multiply?

If there was no way to get rid of them or control them, and they were travelling closer and closer to our county and region, then I would seriously have to give up the business.

[Charles]

They can stand freezing temps. The males surround the queen and keep most of the hives warm. But most are following the warm climate state so far and expected to climb the east coast soon. I think they are expected to migrate to the middle of the US east to west. But they can easily be transported by truck or boat etc

[fivestarlawnken]

Is Tru-green/Chemlawn behind this?????????Maybe they are reading what we think and are pi%%ed off???? Great, what America needs another epidemic. Do you guys carry bee spray while mowing? :o

[geogunn]

I understand the killer bee as a specie discussion but we had a woman killed by yellow jackets near here yeaterday!

I don't have the link to the story yet but it has been on the news.

there is a difference in people that are allergic to the bee venom and the fact that the number of stings is what does the damage.

my impression is that this woman was stung numerous times and that caused the death.

I have also heard that honey bees are the most toxic when it comes to reactions.

GEO

[awm]

NOT KILLER BEES BUT I KILL MANY HUNDREDS OF WASP YETERDAY THAT HAD INFESTED THE SIDING OF A HOUSE.
this lady watches 4 small children too.just glad i noticed them.

[yardboyltd]

You could alway wear a full body leather suit in the heat of summer... :) How about a new service, killer bee spraying.

I've heard scientists talk about introducing a genetically modified colony that would reproduce with them and stop them.

[sheppard]

While the threat is real, I'm more concerned about snakes! Cleaning out flower beds gives me the willies if I stop to think about it. Back to bees- somebody needs to find a smell that 'turns them off' I'd buy a bottle of it! We have lots of palm trees down here- perfect place for a nest to start and here goes me driving under neath the palm branches. Spooky thought!

Cordially,
Sheppard

[Charles]

Fla has a perfect climate for the bees and they should be there before long. Just think you dont have to even touch the nest. Just the sound of your equipment from a distance can set them off. These bees will nest anywhere. In trees, buildings etc. The woman in LA was visiting a convenience store and they had nested near the roof. I dont think I can run a quarter of a mile anymore LOL

[LJ lawn]

apparently carrying insect spray is a no no according to the local DEP.i heard of an incident where a guy was going to get fined heavily for having a can of wasp spray in his truck.i guess they were upset he wasn't licenced to spray for insects-just lawns.

[thelawnguy]

Doesnt need to be killer bees to cause a problem.

Stinging Swarm Kills Beekeeper
By PAUL MARKS And DIANE STRUZZI
The Hartford Courant
August 27, 2001

FRANKLIN - A man who kept honeybees as a hobby died Sunday after his bees attacked and repeatedly stung him.

Police and fire officials said Ernest Jennings, 54, of 17 Lydia Lane, died at the scene after the swarm of bees covered him like a blanket.

Deputy Fire Chief Clem Watson said that he was not at the scene, but that one of his firefighters reported thousands of honeybees had attacked Jennings, who was lying on the ground in his yard when rescue workers responded to the 11:29 a.m. emergency call.

Watson said his firefighter had "never seen anything like it in his life."

Firefighters and emergency technicians from an ambulance service were able to approach Jennings only after they sprayed the swarm with a garden hose to disperse it, Watson said. State police also assisted.

A nursing supervisor at William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, where Jennings was taken, confirmed that he had died.

Glastonbury beekeeper George M. Purtill said honeybees are not likely to sting without provocation.

"To be attacked ... to be stung by a group of them would be highly unusual," Purtill said.

"Honeybees don't sting lightly. They have to have a really good reason to sting because they die [after they sting]. They have one shot and they're not going to waste it."

Jennings was a registered beekeeper with three hives, according to Ira Kettlethe state bee inspector.

Kettle said Sunday that he had been to Jennings' home in Franklin to check out his hives several times this year, the last time on July 16, and found nothing wrong with the bees.

Kettle said he had been concerned about Jennings because he had been ill this year.

During his visit in July, Kettle offered to help Jennings with his hives in several weeks and asked Jennings to call him.

But Kettle said Jennings never did.

It wasn't clear whether Jennings was wearing protective gear when the incident occurred.

"I can't understand it, what went wrong," Kettle said.

[65hoss]

Supply and demand. Everyone leaves the biz, demand goes up and so do prices. Hummm...


Any engineers interested in developing a suite to wear while mowing. Hey, it could be air conditioned also. We could sell it here on LS to the remaining LCO's.:blob4: :blob3:

[thelawnguy]

Read my post above then follow the link: http://www.ctnow.com/scripts/editorial.dll?eetype=Article&eeid=5161386&render=y&Table=&ck=&ver=3.0 Seems our state entomologist has decided to create a new strain of killer bee which survives the northern winters...

[Charles]

[QUOTE][i]Originally William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, where Jennings was taken, confirmed that he had died.

Glastonbury beekeeper George M. Purtill said honeybees are not likely to sting without provocation.

"To be attacked ... to be stung by a group of them would be highly unusual," Purtill said.

"Honeybees don't sting lightly. to help Jennings with his hives in several weeks and asked Jennings to call him.

My grandmother had honey bees nesting in her attic vent. She also owned a germen sheppard. When the bees came down from the nest the dog would snap at them. This must have made the bees permently P.Oed because they would attack anyone who came in the yard with no other provocation. Extermentators came over and didnt believe my grandmother when she told them that the bees were crazier than hell--until they got attacked for no reason. Then they put suites on LOL

[powerreel]

BEE SPRAY??? Guys if the killer bees were in my area I would issue flame-throwers. It's the only thing that would work! I'd keep one with me and a gas mask and a few AG. Foggers! I'd make it back to the truck!I guess you bill it in the the bottom line! :rolleyes:

[sheppard]

Anyone know of a web site that (reliably) tracks the migration of the spawns from hell?

Cordially,
Sheppard

[JJ Lawn]

Article in this AM's paper says that two people were attacked and a dog killed by Africanized bees agitated by lawn service workers.

This was in McAllen, TX according to the paper. Said attack began while lawn service workers were clipping weeds with power tools. A man and a women were treated at hospital for bee stings and minor injuries.

Jim

[Richard Martin]

The minor injuries probably happened when they were running from the bees. Since those suckers swarm when they attack it is a good idea to run as far as fast as possible when attacked.

[Fantasy Lawns]

http://beekeeping.about.com/cs/ahbs/