Northern California newspaper, the Mari Independent Journal, runs a weekly
column called "Ask a Master Gardener" -- written by people who have
attained that title through a course and exam.  The last column is rife
with misinformation about bees that it will make you laugh if you are not
crying.  I'd like some advice on what to include in a response to the
newspaper -- beyond the fact that bees are not wasps.  Have you ever heard
of a bee mistaking a sundress for a flower?  I understand that the Ana-Kit
has been recalled,  Mea McNeil

Excerpts from the article:

How to bee-proof home, yard
by Stacy Nelson, Master Gardeners
        No matter how much we value bees for their pollination activities and
interesting mating rituals, bees can be irritating preditors this time of
year, especially at picinics.
        In the late summer, wasps and yellow jackets are attracted to sweet things
such as decaying fruit.  To avoid attracting them, pick up fruit that has
fallen...and don't wear perfume, hair spray or other scented products whe
you are in areas frequented by wasps and yellow jackets.  Also don't wear
brightly colored clothing that might look like flowers.  You don't want a
bee trying to pollinate your dress!  Bees are also attracted to meats, so
your best bet is to dine inside or on a screened porch.
        Seal openings in walls, chimneys, plumbing and eaves that are larger than
one-eighth inch.  Install fine screens (1/8 inch hardwear cloth) over tops
of rain spouts, vents and openings in water meter and utility boxes.
        ...(refers reader to call local bee association, but no phone #)
        One way to find a nest is to leave a can of tuna fish open outside and
watch where the bees try to go.  There are three types of
nests...(subterranean, inside walls of houses, aerial nests under eaves;
aerosol pesticides recommended.
        ...According to a University of California Study, you can construct a
homemade trap by hanging fish or liver on a string ..etc
        ...Do not swat at bees as this will prompt them to sting. (Suggests table
salt or meat tenderizer for stings as well as Epi-Pen and Ana-Kit).


MEA McNeil