bees in the yard acting nuts

[Hunger Mountain]

We have what appear to be some kind of bees hovering around in the grass on the side yard. I am not sure if they are bees but they certainly look like bees. There is a small volcano there that looks like an ant hill but the hole is too big for ants. We had ground hornets back home in Maryland that were very nasty. Anyone have a clue as to what they are and should we worry about them?:eek:

[NYGUY]

Having beephobia, I would worry...

[Sandtrap328]

Well, honey bees do not live in the ground.

Call out your pest control company and they will care of the situation as it is all covered in your contract.

[DonH57]

Did they have a crazed look in their eyes?

[quirky3]

Ground Nesting Bees: Are they a threat to you-or your Lawn? (http://www.newgarden.com/notes/2013/3/26/ground-nesting-bees)

[kcrazorbackfan]

Yellow Jackets; those striped little things are as mean as heck. Ran over an underground nests with a mower (a long time ago before they was kill levers on mowers), took about an hour for that thing to die; they swarmed it the whole time.

[graciegirl]

Call your pest service and ask them who to call. I doubt they cover bees, but they can steer you in the right direction.

[Lauren Sweeny]

Do not disturb these nests ! Had a bad experience up North with ground bees. Gosh, they swarm out fast ,looking for you, Run!

[jjdees]

Wait until dusk when they should be back in the nest. Spray the nest thoroughly with something strong, preferably a chemical that will kill on contact. These mean little buggers hurt when they sting.

[Barefoot]

Wait until dusk when they should be back in the nest. Spray the nest thoroughly with something strong, preferably a chemical that will kill on contact. These mean little buggers hurt when they sting.

The article that Quirky posted indicates ground bees are unlikely to sting.
Wasps and hornets are nasty, and a different breed entirely.

Ground bee queens do not defend their nesting areas and are very docile and unlikely to sting, posing little or no threat to people. The males often patrol an area inhabited by females seeking mates. While the males can be very active and seem aggressive, they lack a sting and are also harmless. Like other bees, they are active foragers of nectar and pollen from flowers, making them beneficial pollinators.

[Bonny]

2 years ago hubby was mowing the lawn at our rental off of 301. He ran over a nest and got stung several times. By the time he got home his body was shaking and his body was completely covered with welts. We went to urgent care and they gave him some antibiotics and steroids.

[Topspinmo]

I would be Leary of any honey looking bee here in the south especially when swarming or anytime see then clustered. Chance the might be Africanized. I would follow Gracie's advice and have Pro pest control identify them, then determine what action to take if any.

[Barefoot]

Call out your pest control company and they will care of the situation as it is all covered in your contract.

Good advice. We discovered red ants in our back lawn. Pest Control treated the nest within 12 hours.

[Bonanza]

Call your pest service and ask them who to call. I doubt they cover bees, but they can steer you in the right direction.

Gracie is right. Most pest control companies are not either equipped to handle or knowledgable regarding any type of bee. If a pest control company can't point you in the right direction, try the Internet for this area.

Unless they are qualified, do not let a pest control company tell you they can help.

[Bonanza]

Good advice. We discovered red ants in our back lawn. Pest Control treated the nest within 12 hours.

You probably are referring to fire ants, not red ants, and they are very easy to treat yourself.

Buy a small bag of fire ant granules (WalMart is cheapest) and have it on hand. I would never be without it for an immediate treatment.

[villagetinker]

OP, please let us know what you found out regarding these flying insects, I know I would be interested, in case I see some around our yard.