How would you like to mow around this?

[Pam]

Some bees have decided to make our front lawn their home. They were here last year too and disappeared one day on their own. Hubby remembers that they never bothered him when he mowed but rather moved out of his way. He went out a little while ago and took a picture of them and then did some searching on the internet to try and identify them before mowing (hoping they were the same docile ones as last year). It turns out that they are. They are called cicada killer bees because they kill cicadas. Makes sense. They are supposedly harmless to humans unless you "handle them roughly." No chance of that happening here. In fact, one of the sexes (can't remember which) is incapable of stinging. I am attaching a couple of pictures of them and their home in our lawn. They are very beautiful, and now even more so that we have read they are not aggressive. Hubby is about to mow. I am wondering if I should stand by with 911 on my speed dial just in case.

[wombat2u2004]

Cicada Killer Bees ????
Well I guess so long as hubby and yourself are not cicadas, you should be
Ok
Wom

[Pam]

Cicada Killer Bees ????
Well I guess so long as hubby and yourself are not cicadas, you should be
Ok
Wom

Wom, if they turn out to be aggressive I am guessing you would suggest pouring boiling water over their mound.

[wombat2u2004]

Wom, if they turn out to be aggressive I am guessing you would suggest pouring boiling water over their mound.

Mate, that could work, and is certainly worth a try.
But if it was me doing that....I would sit in my car and pour the boiling water onto it out of the window, and then wind the window up very quickly.
But I would think plastic explosive would be the best way to go....so if hubby has a few spare boxes of it laying around the shed somewhere....try that !!!!
Wom

[lvpets2002]

911 would be on speed dial.. Them Bees sound like Cujo & my butt would be in the house with doors locked..

[Laura's Babies]

I have never seen a bee that looks like that. It is pretty but NO THANKS, I would be in the house with the doors locked too!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Are you sure they are harmless?? I wouldn't dare walking on that frontlawn as long as those "creeps" are there... I've never seen this kind of vees, and I must admit that they are beautiful

[gini]

Wow - they really are beautiful. I have never seen a bee like that before.

I used to be scared to death of the huge black carpenter bees. They sound like jets coming at you. But when I found out that they do not sting - only the queen can sting - I lost my fear of them.

Look, I will stay in your house with the phone in my hand - and just give me the signal and I will call 911.

[Pam]

He just finished the front (where the mound is located) and has come out of it unscathed! Now he is pushing his luck and has gone back out with the edger. Thank you for you willingness to help Gini and Wom for your wonderful suggestion!

[Hellow]

I remember i held one of thoes bees. It never stinged me, instead it sat on my finger.It was one of the most beautiful bees i had ever seen. Then it flew away. But i saw it did have a stinger so have 911 on speed dial, just in case.

Here is a picture of a Cicada Killer Wasp:
Here is the link to a website with information on them:http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/bdigwas.html
The website says that they sting if handled but the one that i held had a stinger but didnt sting.
Here is another link about Cicada Killer Wasps:http://cals.arizona.edu/urbanipm/ins...adakiller.html
Hope this helped!

[sweetpatata6]

They are cacada ((sp?)) killer bees. like othrs have said...
We used to have them too... No worries

[Kalei]

Hehe that would be kind of scary to mow around...I probably wouldn't want to do it, but its good that they are pretty much harmless. My favorite bees are the fat round fluffy ones. My mom always runs away from them because she's dealthy allergic, but I always stay just because I think they are so cute. If I could pet them without getting stung I would lol.

[lizbud]

No thanks, not me. They are very interesting looking though.

[Edwina's Secretary]

On the other hand...long grass can give you that "meadow" look and is very fashionable. Just let it grow....sow some wild flower seeds and...voila!

[davidpizzica]

Being a profeesional grass cutter, (I'm a groundskeeper on a golf course), I've mowed arouind many bees nests. My feeling is if you leave them alone they'll leave you alone, but I cut around it quickly and leave!!