This just seems totally weird to me, but our backyard is totally taken over by bees (both the small ones and the bumble bees). We have indian hawthorne that is blooming beautifully, but we can't enjoy it because the bees are EVERYWHERE. Does anyone have any suggestions about what we can do to discourage the bees...???

Well, I guess this proves that the "Disappearing Bees" was just a "Conspiracy Theory" and "Fearmongering"!!

Thanks, sunshine.

Say Hi to Ron Paul for me

sunshine

that is interesting

no you are no the only one

other people have said they have had swarms of bees just come out of NOWHERE

and start going to ONE place

then they move to another place

its like they lost their home

or they are angry

or they are without a compass

but no... bees have built in excellent compasses

so scratch the last thing i said

but .... yes something definetely strange is afoot

i think it has a LOT to do with corporate agro practices

Why don't you set up a hive and learn about bee keeping, what a blessing that they have chosen your garden. Try Anastasias suggestion on how to build a bee hive in the "ringing cedars of russia " book series. In book number one she gives advise.

Thanks for the responses. I do appreciate it.

nomade, that is a nice idea, but we have a very small backyard and the indian hawthorne's line the patio, so we cannot, nor can our 5 year old grandson, spend any time out there. I think we've decided to remove the hawthorne (as much as I hate to do that)...

that's the best way to take care of it i think, remove whatever is attracting them to your yard. that way they will just go about their merry little way elsewhere. bees are wonderful From A Distance! i don't want to cosy up to any of them either.
good luck!

Bees are appearing to be in peril right now. I think it would be a good Idea to find an expert and get their opinion. Maybe an agriculture expert at a local college could help.

and i think they are attracted to certain bright colors as well
so don't LOOK like a flower LOL either

Yeah, I don't wear anything scented either. As a matter of fact, I can't stand perfumes; they make me sick.

Trust me, hyldemoer, the bees won't starve. There are lots of flowering shrubs in our community for them to feed off of. If I were able to admire them from a distance, I would fine with that, but they are surrounding our small patio. The hawthornes were just planted in the wrong place by someone who owned the house prior to us. It is a shame...

Good point, la_veronique.

Here is a recent article about flowers loosing their scent due to pollution. Maybe bees are roaming more to find pollen...

[abcnews.go.com]

I don't know why having bee's would be a problem realy, if they land on you you can just wave them away. They will only harm you if you go treading on them and then only if you do it in bare feet. They are not aggressive creatures ?

I have been stung a few times for no reason other than I didn't see the bee. It wasn't because they were aggressive but sometimes they do sting anyway.

I have had a really strange experience with some bees that may have been the African killer bees. We were at a coastal park in Texas in a open air pavilion. My daughter came down from the top level saying you have to come see these bees. I was carrying my then baby and went up with the two of them. The bees surrounded us and wouldn't allow us to go back down the stairs. They were hovering in the air around my head. They weren't moving, only hovering and I may sound nuts but a few were looking in my face. It was very scary. I eventually had to make a move to leave and they allowed it without a sting. Very weird. I had read a book of memoirs a few years before in which the author thought bees were highly intelligent. He cited some examples to back up his theory. I always thought he was right and after that experience I had an even stronger feeling toward that belief.