did i mention the bees?

I know, most would assume that gardens love bees. And we do love bees in these gardens. We wouldn't have these gardens without the bees.

Yellow jackets are a different kind of buzz. Yes, yes, I know they are good at collecting pollen and spreading it around. But just as nobody likes to find one of them in a soda can or on a burger at a late summer barbeque, their decision to build a home inside of my home was going too too far.

The list of buzzing things that are allowed inside of my house is short. very short.

You know all of those photos I've posted of the sage in the gardens with the bees flying around? Turns out some of those bees were yellow jackets that found an opening into my home (made by the previous owner, yet another of the intriguing yet annoying puzzles he left for us--IDIOT!) and those yellow guys have had all summer to build some kind of huge hive behind the bricks on the house, hidden by the lovely sage, until a couple of days ago.

While I am not a fan of pesticides, all of my compassion for the wee living things goes out the window when the wee things are yellow jackets and they are congregating too near to the places where the grandbabygirls might play. I headed to the Home Depot and bought two big cans of the stuff that sprays yellow jacket killer for up to 27 feet. Seriously, 27 feet! I sprayed the hole in the bricks from only three feet away, all the while surrounded by their buzzing brethren. I planned to wait until dark to again spray inside the hole when all of the little bastards were sound asleep in their hive holes. But Jack and Jr sprayed it again before I could, and then they filled the hole with foam--that spray kind that starts out little and immediately grows to ten times its size. (It reminds me of watching yeast rise in high speed, but this foam was charcoal colored, so the yeast vision wasn't happening.)

Since then, Jack's workshop in the basement has been under siege by the yellow jackets. Jr claims to have killed 100s in the past two days, although he does admit that now they appear to be flying in ultra-slow motion as if they'd spent the last few hours in a glass of beer--or yellow jacket killer.

We all hope that the last of them have slowly swirled to the floor. But Jack and I are strongly urging Jr and the drummer to begin the long-awaited demolition of the basement in preparation for the upcoming remodel sooner rather than later to see if they can locate the hive for one final spray.

From 27 feet if necessary.