What's the buzz and who are these critters?

Living in the woods has its benefits, but there are a few drawbacks - after all, we are living in the woods. Occasionally there are unwanted visitors. Sparrows fly into the garage and gawk at us nervously from atop the garage door opener track. Confused birds try to invade by pecking (and leaving unwanted excrement) on the windows, apparently misguided by the reflection. A few fly full force into said windows and drop stunned, or worse, on the patio.

Ants invade the entryway and pretend to admire the blooming Chistmas cactus. Lady bugs appear in our bedroom on warm fall days and remind us as we see them through the winter that spring is not far away. And there are the ubiquitous tent caterpillars who emerge from their clusters in cherry trees and plant their cocoons in door tracks, outdoor furniture covers, and many other places.

Then there are more insidious invaders - honey bees. That has been the buzz for the last two years. We first noticed "a few" (little did we know what an understatement that was) bees hovering around the chimney July a year ago. An exterminator tried to repel them, unsuccessfully. We later learned that killing honey bees is illegal. We asked our John, our homebuilder and go-to guy of last resort, to have a look. He did and returned with Gary the bee guy and Jimmy the roofer. They took apart the roof cricket - do you know what that is - I did not? They discovered a large hive of honey bees. Gary removed the bees, honey, honey comb, and then Jimmy put the roof back together. What a relief, having those critters removed, especially with visiting grandchildren around.

Fast forward to May of 2009. We glance reflexively at the chimney area for bees, as we have ever since they were taken away last year. One day....are those bees flying around up there, honey? Yes. They are back. Our friends Jimmy and Gary returned one July Saturday. The boys did their work efficiently. Pix are below.

It's nice to think of our roof as a habitat. Honey bees have been in decline, too. What a noble role for such a humble structure. But they are unwanted in a roof or home. We learned that honey bees can build an extensive presence in a short time. They will return to a former nest if the odor of honey remains. Trying to kill bees without removing the community and hive/honey/honeycomb is a bad idea. The decaying material will at best remain to attract bees and at worst become a festering time bomb requiring more extensive clean up in the areas where they are situated - walls, porches, and aforementioned roof.

So, beeware of unwanted pests in your woods. Get professional help if needed. But don't let occasional critter problems distract you from the natural beauty in your version of Bittersweet Woods.