Hornets, Yellow Jackets, Bees And A Cat On My Lap
…plus some thumping acid rock last night!
Nature is a wonderful thing, I love being out in it and witnessing the array of beauty, both welcome and sometimes unwelcome. Even the unwelcome teaches you something.
The key is to cultivate some semblance of harmony with it all, and over the years, I have had my share of experiences.
While on a nature walk a few years ago, camera in hand, I spotted a large Bald-Faced Hornet nest. Huge is the word for it. It was up in a tree, and I could see it was at least five feet by four feet. Such a large one, I had never seen before. Of course, being that I am more fearless when I am photographing, I started taking pictures. Later, I used some of them to make some drawings in a children’s picture book called Butterfly Baby.
With an image of a hornet, I could look it up and find out the kind of hornet. It turned out to be a Bald-Faced Hornet’s nest, and walking on by could have been the prudent thing to do. But I think they sensed I was only there to take pictures, and they didn’t bother me.
Even untoward things can have a purpose, make you think, or find a way to deal with them. Or in this case, give you something to write about.
Buzzing Bees around my Hydrangeas? No, they were Yellow Jackets!
Another follow-up to hornets came only just last fall. It was an episode with Yellow Jackets, which I originally thought were honey bees. I found them flying in and out of a hole in our house’s foundation, just behind my flower garden.
Thinking they were honey bees, I, of course, didn’t want to take drastic measures, so I started researching how to make them exit the foundation without hurting them. I even had fantasies regarding giving them a new home, as I had seen one beekeeper do online. Make two large plastic water bottles into a hive and coax them into it. It would be nice to have fresh honey, right? But I wondered what to do with them in the city during winter, so I did some more research.
My dad’s hobby was beekeeping. I should have asked him more questions.
Well, on closer inspection through a camera lens, it turned out they were Yellow Jackets, not honey bees. However, thinking they were honey bees, I had built and tried to coax them into a waterbottle bee hive without success. Meanwhile, winter snow had fallen, and we decided to wait until spring to determine the next course of action.
Acid Rock NoiseVibrations
On further research, I found that Yellow Jackets and Honey Bees actually are adverse to the thump, thump, thump of acid rock music, so named for the vibrations that can come through the ground, through walls, and rock you off your good thoughts. Apparently, insects feel this effect as well. So, one remedy suggested to rid your house of hornets or bees is acid rock music turned up high with more bass thump, the better. We reminded ourselves to try that in spring if they were still there.
A visit to a cottage in the woods.
Meanwhile, speaking of the present, we are visiting a friend's cottage. It is the start of cottage season in Northumberland County, Ontario. It is an idyllic spot nestled in the woods, with a river flowing nearby. Our friends left their two cats for us to love and cuddle while they went elsewhere. I guess when you are surrounded by such beauty all the time, you might want a little city life now and then. They mentioned in an email that they are visiting a Tapas Bar in the city. I don't see any Tapas around here, so of course, as mentioned, a little city life is good.
As we are from the city, the quiet sounds of nature are what call us. You know, the crickets, the rustle of the wind in the trees, the soft pattering of rainfall on the leaves, even the early morning thunder and lightning are somehow comforting in these wooded surroundings.
Before our friends left, I noticed a small oblong paper thing hanging on one end of the roof of the garden patio. Curious, I asked what that was.
“Oh, that is a fake hornet’s nest. We hang them as they discourage wasps from building nests around the house.”
I then recognized the hornet nest shape from the real one I’d seen. This is a good solution, I thought. I will look into getting one or two of these fake hornet nests when we go home. I have to say the Yellow Jackets have not made another appearance; the wall near the foundation must not have been such a good new home for them after all. It was a cold, freezing, icy, and windy winter in the city, so they left.
Nonetheless, a paper nest hanging on the porch will be a non-intrusive deterrent.
Thumping in the night.
There are always things that try our patience from time to time. These are things that turn a person from being normally kind and patient into an almost raving lunatic.
That was me, starting yesterday afternoon and late into the night, as I tried not to listen to, nor feel, the thump, thump, thump of a neighbor, albeit a woodlot away, who was playing loud acid rock music. I am sure in the vicinity of it, they had no idea the vibrations it was giving off. Or some people are just oblivious neighbors thinking they are far enough away and, “let ‘er rip!”
But no, in the country, sound can travel further and faster. The beat of the noise, or should I say music, vibrated right through the ground, the walls of the house, and through the shut windows. We tried drowning it out with the TV, but even that didn’t really work.
Even the usually calm and friendly house-cats were pacing around, jumping on furniture, and looking cross. Knowing their expressions, it looked as though, if they were allowed out of the house, they’d be determined to go and snarl at the offenders.
Tired and wanting to sleep, my generally positive attitude started imagining ways I might get the noise to stop. How could I get even?
We could drive the car over at 4:30 am (when they would be sleeping) and turn the radio on full blast.
We could call 911 and claim sound abuse and noise pollution.
We could write a nasty letter and leave it on their front door.
Even other ideas came to mind, and I am ashamed to think I could have considered such things. NOISE POLLUTION. I can only imagine how the crickets, birds, and insects felt!
Our better selves win out.
Alas, we decided not to overreact. We put earbuds in, listened to soothing music, and went to bed. How long could it last anyway? We could still feel the vibrations, but the music eventually helped us drop off to sleep.
Waking up in the morning, the vibratory thumps were gone. The neighbors were no doubt sleeping. Calmer, in the light of day, we made coffee and sat in easy chairs, slowly sipping the comforting black brew.
It was a new day, the sun was almost up, the trees in the woods glistened and rustled contentedly in the morning quiet. The robin nesting in a nearby tree sits patiently on her nest, seemingly unperturbed by it all. An insect landed on a windowsill, looking a little shell-shocked but relieved. Inside, the cats are lounging about, glad of the peace. One of them came over and sat in my lap, purring as if to agree with my thoughts as I looked out the large windows.
“Thank goodness we all made it through the night, and we can think straight again.”
Perhaps a small note on the neighbor's front door would be ok.
Let’s hope it is not as loud tonight…
Sleep well, friends,
Trina
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