Question:
Last year, I discovered a bee hive in some bushes. In December, I hosed it down with a high-pressure nozzle. I think I destroyed the hive, or maybe it got too cold, as I see no evidence of any activity. How can I ensure they don't return and reestablish the hive?Answer:
- Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, and Wasps, except Yellow Jackets, are inactive during cool, wet weather, but if disturbed, they will fly around and sting.
- But a Yellow Jacket hive is empty or abandoned once winter arrives. In late November, the worker and male
- Yellow Jackets die after mating with the queen(s). Shortly afterward, the queen(s) abandons the old hive and hibernates in the bark of trees and logs.
- So, I believe you had a Yellow Jacket hive. It may be a bit early, but the Queens should emerge from hibernation and start looking to establish new nesting areas within the next three weeks.
- But, there is almost no chance of a queen reoccupying an old site. Yellow Jackets establish hives under the ground in abandoned gopher or other rodent holes. The above-ground nests are close to structures like under the eves of a house or in ornamental bushes like junipers.
- The hives start slowly, reaching their peak in September/October. Yellow Jackets rarely are a problem on Memorial Day, more problematical by the 4th of July, and a considerable nuisance by Labor Day.
- In the fall, they're easily agitated as mating season approaches. The hives remain active until November, when the process begins or ends again, depending on how you look at it.
- Your best defense against a Yellow Jacket establishing a hive in your yard is to trap the queens early on. The solution is to set out new or reused Yellow Jacket Traps now.
- With last year's traps, I'd wash them out with warm, soapy water before adding any new attractant. Because of the very wet January and February, I expect the Yellow Jacket population to be smaller than in previous years, as many queens did not survive. But still, it doesn't matter when you get stung.
Question:
My twenty-year-old lime tree used to produce a fair crop years ago. The leaves and bark look fine, and I fertilized them with Citrus fertilizer. There are a thousand blossoms yearly, but the limes fall off when they get about pea size. What else should I be doing to get more lines?Answer:
- Fruit drop on citrus is a common problem with container plants and is unusual for those in the ground. Irregular watering is the primary cause of the problem.
- The fruit drop is the response to water stress. The drought may have contributed to the problem; however, water shouldn't be a problem this year.
- So, I'd construct a watering basin around the lime. It should be six to eight inches high and extend from the trunk to a foot beyond the drip line. Every time you water, you fill the basin several times.
- I'd water weekly once the rainy season concludes and more often when the temperatures are ninety degrees and above.