mbc1963 Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 For the second year in a row, I have knucklehead lost bumblebees buzzing around in my basement. I was airing it out after the recent flooding, and had the door propped open for a while to promote dehumidifying. Two days in a row now, I've come home to find an enormous bumblebee buzzing around the opening of my laundry chute. Well, Buddy is filled with an intense and uncompromising HATRED for these guys (girls?). He cannot rest if he knows there is a bumblebee buzzing around in the basement. On the first day, I managed to get the bee trapped in a piece of laundry, and took it to the deck to release it. Buddy ran around the yard, barking and growling at the air. Yesterday, Buddy accompanied me to the cellar, where he fixated on the bee as it fumbled at the light fixture, and then after I opened the door, ferociously chased it outside. He ran around the yard, growling and barking at the sky, for several minutes after the bee had flown away. It's comical to watch Buddy react this way to something so small; I'm guessing he got stung by one of these last year. (He doesn't pounce on them - and seems to know that they have a stinger.) But I have to admit that it's disconcerting to have to deal with an angry bumblebee! If you wrap it it up in a towel, you can actually feel the towel vibrating under your hand, and you can hear the angry percussion thrum... and then you say, "Oh! Now I understand that song 'Flight of the Bumblebee!'" Rimsky-Korsokoff captured it exactly! Though, I think he should have called it 'Bumblebee Trapped in Old Knickers' or something. Every day's an adventure. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleS. Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Gypsy goes batty when those things fly around too! She is on a mission to kill them and looks like a nut jumping and snapping in the air. Once they are away from her, she's fine. Chase doesn't seem to notice them. What Chase will react to is any kind of loud buzzing noise though. He goes into attack mode and we have to keep him away when we start the leaf blower, weedeater or lawn mower. Once they are running, he doesn't seem to care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Stein Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Mary, are you sure these are not carpenter bees? Carpenter bees look a LOT like big bumblebees, but they're attracted to houses, which bumblebees usually are not. They are also much less likely to sting, which is good. The bad side is that they excavate into wood, but they don't seem to do much damage. We've had 'em for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyleew Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Taz eats them. And I agree Eileen that they are probably Carpenter Bees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 We have Carpenter Bees too. Ours are all black and less fuzzy than bumblebees. They're also a lot larger - up to 1 1/4" long. It's a free for all when one comes in the house. Between Sugarfoot and the cat I have a hard time getting a cloth over it without it being eaten or the furniture sent flying! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuxedodog Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 You must have nice carpenter bees, ours are very agressive not to mention destructive. We keep a tennis racquet on the front porch for bee control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2napp Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 We have the same thing on our deck. Lacee chases "flies" as we call it. Anything that buzzes. This guy will hover in front of her and she'll jump up, jaws snapping. The bee comes back and hovers.....it's like the bee is playing with Lacee. It keeps her entertained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejano Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Ring II got stung by a wasp leaving a particular door at the farm house. He never used that door again. I was sitting on the porch last summer, ill from the effects of the chemo and feeling very sorry for myself and Robin, silly, happy little Robin, "herded" a butterfly to me. I'm sure that it was just a coincidence that the butterfly was headed in my direction and he was really just following it, but it sure made me feel better to see this little puppy, ears flapping and tail wagging, nose up in the air following the "flutterby". Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecretBC Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Luke got into a tangle with a nest full of yellowjackets a few years ago, so he is now terrified at anything that flies or buzzes around him. Kaiser likes to chase bumblebees around the clover in the yard. He obviously hasn't gotten stung by anything yet! Secret has not yet lived through a bee season, so I don't know what she thinks yet. Odds are, she'll try to eat them. She eats everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Mick considers it his special duty to keep the yard free of bumble bees. He couldn't care less about any other type of bug. And he doesn't ever really get a chance to chase rabbits/squirrels/etc, because my cat does a good job of keeping the yard free from anything smaller than a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbc1963 Posted April 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 OK... now I hate hate hate carpenter bees. They freak me out! Next time one shows up, I'll check its back to see if it's black and shiny. Freaky exoskeletoned little arthropods. Ick. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2napp Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Luke got into a tangle with a nest full of yellowjackets a few years ago, so he is now terrified at anything that flies or buzzes around him. Kaiser likes to chase bumblebees around the clover in the yard. He obviously hasn't gotten stung by anything yet! Secret has not yet lived through a bee season, so I don't know what she thinks yet. Odds are, she'll try to eat them. She eats everything! Poor Luke! Lacee has gotten stung several times with her lips swelling up....but that hasn't stopped her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.