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Index of Subjects I don't know where that entomologist lives who says we are not facing a catastrophy, but it is certainly not around here. I am pleased to hear that some of you in NS still have relatively good numbers of bumblebess. I see very few when even two years ago they were a "nuisance" on my property, beause they have tended to migrate inside both houses and set up housekeeping, so we had to destroy one colony, and my tenant upstairs, who is literally deathly allergic to wasp and hornet stings, and reacts quite stronlgly to bee stings, was not a bit happy with me when I rather hedged about destroying the other colony which was flying in and out of a basement ventilation hole under our front steps. It has become quite an ethical dillemma for me. Sometimes they work their way upstairs and get into my apartment, but usually I can capture and release them by using a wide mouthed jar against the window and then slipping a thin piece of cardboard over the opening. I have yet to be stung, but Bess was stung by one of them a few years ago now, and the area on her arm became quite swollen and stayed that way for many days afterewards. Bess, bless her, has just completely rennovated and added beautiful flower gardens to the front of my house where those steps are, and there isn't a bee out there of any sorts or a wasp or hornets. The paper wasps used to like to come this time of year and masticate wood off the unpainted step rails to construct their paper houses. They also caused more fear. No sign of them this year, so I find that they are disappearing too, but I see where there is a big problem with them in Kingston as written about recently by John Belbin. If you still have what you consider a lot of bees and hornets and wasps in your area, keep an eye on their numbers over the next few weeks. You may see a sudden drop/disappearance in them as the virus or fungus (my understanding of the problem) or beetles hit your area. I don't even have the usual blackflies and mozzies bugging me out in the garden in the evening, just one or two. Usually just before dusk they become very active and drive me inside. This will certainly not be good for our swallows and swifst and especially not for our kingbirds. Jean in Wolfville
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