Lilac

[keepanionme]

My parents have a lilac bush that's pretty big. It's been infested by a colony of really big bees again this year - the smallest of the ones that have been killed are an inch long with the biggest being almost 2 1/2".

I think my mom is with the idea of removing it. I've seen lilac on here before and would love to take some of it, but questioned how to go about it and what to get. It's a pretty big bush, but I can't say for sure how thick the branches are as it's covered in leaves and really big bees at the moment.

It's probably 5-6 feet tall so I'm guessing there's a pretty nice ball of roots under it? I've never done any digging for a root ball but think this may have some potential, once those bees are gone. Any tips would be welcome.

 

[woodtickgreg]

Got any pics of the bee's, lol.

 

[keepanionme]

Actually, I do. They are actually Asian Killer Hornets. Bad, very bad, creatures. They kill regular bees. My parents used to have a lot of wild flowers that grow during the summer. With these things around, they kill the bees that pollinate everything.

 

[CWS]

Nasty looking critters.

 

[woodtickgreg]

I Did not know they where in this country.

 

[keepanionme]

They've had them the last 2 or 3 years. The ones in the pictures are the small ones. The bigger ones have a wingspan of about 4-5 inches. I would certainly hate to get hit by these things. I couldn't imagine how bad it would hurt!

 

[rocky1]

Do you have honeybees in the area? If not... mix up some simple syrup, 50%water/50% sugar, stir in some Sevin Garden insecticide. Sevin is slow acting, it will allow them to take it back to the nest and feed it to the brood. May not take them all out, but it'll knock them back if you keep it out where they can get at it. Just want to be careful if you have any bees around.

 

[Nature Man]

Keep us posted on your progress. Once you have those flying devils exterminated, anxious to see the lilac wood. Chuck

 

[keepanionme]

Do you have honeybees in the area? If not... mix up some simple syrup, 50%water/50% sugar, stir in some Sevin Garden insecticide. Sevin is slow acting, it will allow them to take it back to the nest and feed it to the brood. May not take them all out, but it'll knock them back if you keep it out where they can get at it. Just want to be careful if you have any bees around.

Thanks for the info, Rocky. I'll pass that along to my dad. The only problem is getting close enough to apply the mixture. Dad can't run as fast as he used to, my brothers are chicken, and I'm allergic. Dad's been driving next to the bush, putting the window down a bit, spraying the commercial bee killing spray that shoots 25 ft, and they flooring it when the hornets start to come out.

These things killed the bees that were around. They used to have carpenter bees and honey bees all over their property. Every year, there were lots of flowers along the trees. Ever since these things have been around, none of that has happened and all the bees are gone. After finding out what they were, turns out, these hornets are responsible for killing the various bees.

After this is done, I'm hoping mom will still want to part with the bush.

 

[Karda]

do it at night, they don't fly at night when it is dark. Make sure you put plenty out yuou don't want to go out there more than you need to

 

[Spinartist]

Lilac wood is beautiful!! Can have purple streaks through it & it smells like Lilacs when cutting it. Rootball is worth digging up!

It cracks badly while drying.

 

[Spinartist]

I'd report the hornets to the county or state agricultural board. Maybe they will come & kill the nest.

 

[woodtickgreg]

I'd like to see pics of the big ones just to see what species they are. Thank god the only ones we have here in Michigan are bald faced hornets and they are bad enough, mean little bastards. The big ones that you are describing almost sound like the giant hornets of japan, I hope they never make their way here, they will kill every bee in a hive just to get to the larvae to feed their own.

 

[Karda]

yea report it it will help them fight it, ask for help to deystroy the nest, better them than you

 

[Spinartist]

Your pict looks more like the European hornet, not the giant Asian.

 

[Spinartist]

I think what you have is European hornet.
Top right photos

 

[Spinartist]

Giant Asian Hornets have stripes, not the dots on their back end.

 

[rocky1]

 

[Spinartist]

There's also huge Cicada killer wasps around. But they are solitary, not hive dwellers.

 

[keepanionme]

I'll see if I can get pictures of the bigger ones.

Lee, I think you're right. It certainly does look like the European hornet. Thanks for the info!

These things are relentless. They are just as aggressive at night as they are in the day. I'll definitely pass along the info to call the agricultural board and see what help they can be.

Thanks for all the info!