In a message dated 8/11/98 1:26:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time, lawrence@the-
link.net writes:
 
> The lady who tends the flowers and garden at my parish came to me to
>  remove the bees in "her" flower garden.  Turns out they are yellow
>  jackets who have made a hive in a mound of dirt around some new plants.
>  As the parish priest, I must say that I have no compunction about
>  removing/ejecting these critters, but how do I do this without killing,
>  maiming or otherwise injuring those "sacred" plants so lovingly
>  installed by this lady, aka the "mother superior"?   Thanks.
 
 
     Soapy water.  The chemical companies don't want you to know that, of
course.
 
     I'd pour it down the hole after dark.  Say 3 oz dish detergent in a quart
of water. It shouldn't hurt the plants.   If it doesn't work, it didn't
contact them. For example, you may have some larvae in sealed cells. They may
be protected enough so they'll be unhurt and may hatch out. Just do it again
in a few days, if you see continued activity.
 
     Don't forget though, that yellow jackets are very important preditors of
many pest insects. The nest also will die out when cold weather comes. If you
can live with them.........
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
 
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm