And it turns out we DID have potatoes!

[conuly]

These really were planted, I remember now. They seem to have simultaneously spread quite a bit while not reproducing all that much, that or there's lots of potatoes I've yet to uncover. How deep do you generally have to dig to get them all, anyway?

Turns out they were less "near" the bees than "on" the bees. Oh, joy. It was "dig up a potato, toss some dirt on the bee!" for a while there. Luckily these were very sleepy bumblebees, not yellow jackets. I'm really not looking forward to offing the hive.

Comments

[xianghua.livejournal.com]

Any chance some of your local bee folks will coem get them? Or that they can at least safely relocate them for you? It seems a shame to destroy a successful hive, but yeah, you can't have that in the yard. :(

[conuly]

I'll try calling them, but they're pretty booked. Well, maybe it can wait until spring.

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Can't hurt to phone and ask, or ask for a referral. Anyway, during cooler weather, they'll get fewer calls and have more time.

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

http://www.earthtimes.org/nature/bumblebees-gone-wind-major-disappearance/376/ They're supposedly endangered? If you can save them, please do.