Bumblee Bee won't leave deck

Okay..this has been going on for about 5 days now...we have a bumble bee (big furry guy--yellow up on his back) who thinks he owns my deck. My first thought---if it moves, kill it.
Since i know there are bee shortages, i'm hesitant to just kill him. I've seen two theories to his actions:
1) he's just looking for some mating
2) he's watching out for a nearby nest...

if there's a nest--then i want to find it so my daughter can play in the backyard without worrying about being chased away by this guy. I had to use the fogger on my deck last night just to keep him away long enough to grill out. Any nature "enthusiasts" have suggestions?

 

Sounds like a carpenter bee rather than a bumble bee. Those guys are pretty aggressive. I think these guys are generally more solitary - check around your deck and you will probably find some holes he is creating. I woudn't worry about killing him.

S

 

Have to agree with SteveD - that's no bumble! SQUISH IT!!!! SQUISH IT NAO!!!!

We had those at my folk's house. He will destroy your deck and bother your kin.

 

i looked under the deck (it's out of the 2nd story) and i didn't see any holes...but there wasn't much time before i had to swing at him with a tennis racket and run away like a little girl. will this go on all summer?

 

First off ... next time you swish at him with a tennis racket and run away like a little girl ... call me first. I want to watch.

Second ... you gotta find the nest. Sometimes they don't even look like nests, just some grey putty or something stuck on a wall ... I have no idea how those big things live in there, but they do. Well ... that's if it is one of those nasty aggressive ones.

Bumble bees are big and fat and almost round, and not aggressive at all.

Marianne

 

I don't know you, but thanks for the laugh! Good luck with the bee, hope you win.

 

Have you recently stained your deck? We were working on ours over the weekend and had a big furry bee hanging out the entire time. I think it liked the smell of the stain. Or if you have some flowers out there it might be attracted to those.

On the other hand, maybe it's YOU he likes - do you smell like you're full of sweet nectar?

 

Enjoy the bees. They will not bother you. The carpenter bee that seems agressive is the male and he doesn't even have a stinger. They will bore a hole or two in dead wood i.e. your deck, but generally won't cause any structural damage.

I'll gladly trade all of your carpenter bees for the yellow jackets and wasps that are swarming around my deck.

 

We are having the same problem on our back veranda. It's not very pleasant when trying to relax out there and having bees and a few wasps swarming around. Is there some sort of "natural" deterrent? I ordered a couple of "mosquito" plants hoping those will keep the mosquitos away in the summer, so I was wondering if there was a "bee" plant. Perhaps??

 

you should see my mothers house in the mountains - although they haven't gotten any structural damage yet they love her A frame house! They are fun to hit with a spade from the garden and make a really nice "ding" when you get a direct hit.

 

call Superior- they WILL find the nest if one exists. whatever they use KILLS te pests and does not harm my dog. environmentalists may hate me for wanting every flying crawling creature within 20 feet of my home dead, but i willraise my glass to them as i enjoy my poisonous deck in peace this summer... sorry earth!

 

Well before engaging in whole sale Bombus Bombing, please make sure you have identified what exactly you have.

Bumble bees, which are a specific species, are not aggressive toward humans unless their nest is attacked, Bumble bees, unlike Honey Bees, do not have barbs on their stingers. The good news is that the sting does not hurt as much as from a Honey Bee, the bad news is that one Bumble Bee can sting more than once if attacked. Being nonagressive in nature, few people are ever aware of the differences.

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/bumblebe.html

Please recognize the benefits we all garner from the American Bumble Bee. Did you know that the American Bumble Bee is responsible for pollinating 15% of all the crops grown in the US?

http://science.the-environmentalist.org/2007/10/plight-of-bumble-bee.html

If we are going to enjoy nature, we have to enjoy all that nature provides. The Bumble Bee is as much part of nature as those pretty birds and trees we like to look at.

If what you have are actual Bumble Bees, please consider letting them alone and enjoying the benefits they provide. If you don't bother their nests, they won't bother you.

 

Make sure they are bumble bees (fuzzy, brighter yellow) and not African hornets. We had those in the walls of our townhouse a few years back. They are very aggressive...the pest control guy had full gear covering his head and body and they chased him down the street.

Here's what they looked like...

 

Bees tend to be fuzzy while wasps tend not to be fuzzy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characteristics_of_common_wasps_and_bees

I have to confess that I have not heard of an "African Hornet". Do you have a web citation that describes this type of wasp?

 

I was out on the deck again today working on more staining and my bee friend came around again. I really do think it's the scent of the stain that he's attracted to. More than likely you have something on your deck that the bee likes to smell. Once they find something they like they tend to return to it repeatedly. You may have noticed a lot of pollen collecting on cars parked outside - the bumblebees love that so it's not surprising they're hanging around right now.

 

Woopity--I have had the same problem. I have a bumble bee on my deck as well as one on my front porch that has been extremely aggressive.
I was surprised, as they typically are not. I have recently painted my wicker furniture and am wondering if he's attracted to the smell of the paint. I also swear that it's mating season. I'm ready to smash mine as well, but they do polinate my flowers, so that is a last resort. Maybe by tomorrow trying to have my coffee, I'll cave....

 

Best way to get away. A Screen porch. It's a great way to get out of the heat of the day, and away from mosquitos - especially the West Nile ones that are now in our area. Make sure to screen underneath it as well. We have a 10x10 deck attached for the grill.

 

Like I said earlier, this is probably just a male carpenter bee (completely harmless - no stinger).

 

"African hornet" was the pest control guy's terminology, but I don't see much out there on the web with specifics. I do remember that they were as big around as your pinky finger, so a bit intimidating...and they were in Reston, not Africa...

 

I just went outside and saw two of the bees. One appears to be chewing a perfectly round hole in the underside of the top of our lattice support. I stood under him and took several pictures and it didn't seem to bother the bee or his little friend. Attached are the photos.