When husband's get crafty...

"Grandpa Bob's bee trap," Home Depot trap, the bee barricade















This is how I spent my weekend- Saturday night we had a raging time in the Pet E.R. with a very unhappy and very stung Boxer. Sunday we spent all day trying to out smart, trap, barricade, exterminate or otherwise rid our yard of a hive of angry yellow jackets. It all began with an innocent game of ball in the backyard with our two Boxer's Mason and Coco. Anyone who knows me, knows that these dogs are the children I may or may not ever have, and are considered "mi familia." So when Mason came tearing out of the garden covered in bees we were of course concerned. And given that he is allergic to just about everything, we decided better safe then sorry and took him to the Pet E.R. They know us well at the E.R. by now, and we have probably paid the equivalent of someones salary in the last 3 years of living with Mason. To make a long story short, he got some injections, antihistamines, steroids and we were sent home with an very drugged and sore dog.
Sunday began with a lot of research into how to rid the yard of bees. Being people who do not like to use pesticides, my husband wanted to try to catch the bees first (what he would do with them then is beyond me). He came upon "Grandpa Bob's Bee trap," and in theory, it sounded like a winner. It consisted of fish (I thought bees liked flowers) and soapy water. The bees would be attracted to the fish, fall into the soapy water, the soap destroys their "water proof coating," and they drown. The bees that don't drown, bring the fish back to the hive for the queen, and lure other bees to the trap. I was skeptical. But he was determined and crafted the trap above. After a couple of hours he had managed to catch 3 flies. I guess bees don't like fresh caught Rockfish from the ocean (sorry Dad)! So not only do we have a large, humming underground bee hive, we now have rancid fish hanging in the backyard- couple that with the display of my husband blasting Mason with the hose and chasing him with a broom, (trying to knock the bees off, they hung on and kept stinging) our neighbors must be really impressed.
Next it was off to Home Depot for a "real" trap, displayed in the second picture. While being more aesthetically pleasing, it has proved to be about as useful as the stinkin' fish. So what's the next logical step? Erect a barricade around the battle zone until we come up with another bright idea. The neighbors had an interesting view of me out in my pajamas shinning a flash light on the stump/hive while my husband pounded the stakes into the ground, all the while asking "are they coming out?" Oiy. Anyone got any ideas?