I have what I believe to be a fruitless mulberry tree in my backyard. I am having a problem with bees and wasps swarming in the tree. Is there a spray or powder that will keep them away?

If it a swarm, don't worry, they will be gone in a day or two. If there's a place in that tree for them to make a home, (hollow spot), they may set up housekeeping, if they are honey bees. Assuming it is honey bees, are they just sitting there in a big ball? Wasps don't swarm that I am aware of.

The bees and wasps are beneficial. Just do not bother them and they will not bother you. If the bees and wasps were all gone, the world would go hungry. They are very important pollinators, crucial to our existence.

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Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach

If the bees/wasps haven't taken up residence and you are allergic to stings, therefore need to remove them from your yard, let me suggest a repellent approach. Skeeter D'Feeter is a citronella spray you can get in various containers at your local Lowe's & other stores in Texas. Just spray the tree, in the evening would be best as the insects would be resting and the chemicals in the water will dissipate overnight and not burn the tree. The citronella won't hurt the tree, smells nice (lemon-y) and will keep them away with repeat applications (it biodegrades over time) around every 2 weeks. Spray the leaves, bark, branches and the ground around the tree. I learned this by accident spraying my yard to keep out mosquitoes, as this is the reason the product was originally developed. I chased away a wasp nest that I'd had on my garage for 3 years...sad to lose them as they kept my catalpa & pecan trees free from caterpillars and never bothered anyone. Hope this is helpful to you!

If the wasps never bothered you, why did you spray them? How are your Catalpa and Pecan trees doing now?
If the bees have taken up residence, they may be moved. You can spray the nest with water and the bees will leave. Then you can move the nest to another out of the way location.
Check out David Lister's website http://www.Beebuster.com
David Lister – 800-580-BEES will come and get your bees for a fee. He is licensed and insured.

http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=60

_________________
Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach

In my original note I tried to explain that I didn't spray to get rid of the wasps, I sprayed to repel mosquitoes and repelling the wasps was an unanticipated result. The caterpillars lost their natural enemies so Bt was my next line of defense. The bees seemed to be less bothered by the citronella as time went on but it kept working on the mosquitoes. Sadly, the wasps never returned.

Like a lot of things in organics, we learn additional benefits and drawbacks all the time, and this was one that turned out to help in repelling bees & wasps although it wasn't my original intent. After I realized the effect, I sprayed my front porch to chase away the mud dobbers (they moved to the side of the house instead, thankfully). Hope this is more clear to everyone. Later I found that the maker recommends it for just that purpose around boats, docks and marinas as well as pools. I'm not around those much but from my experience, I bet it would work great!

I guess I overlooked the part about it being a secodary result of spraying for mosquitoes. I spoke with David Lister and he told me that an established beehive will not be bothered much by the * citrus or garlic sprays. He said it confuses them somewhat, but will not cause them to relocate. I'm sorry the same does not go for your wasps.
*(I do think a strong enough concentration of citrus would do damage to the bees, though).

_________________
Nadine Bielling
Moderator
Gardener Exchange Forum

The Laws of Ecology:
"All things are interconnected. Everything goes somewhere. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Nature bats last." --Ernest Callenbach

While you make a good point about a citrus spray harming the bees, citronella is a different thing. It isn't made from citrus products, it's a concentrate of the grass native to Asia. I have accidentally sprayed a few bees and they didn't seem to be harmed. I haven't been able to find anything that says it will harm bees but I am absolutely sure it repels wasps. Thanks for helping everyone watch out for our beneficial friends. I'm trying!

On a different note, are you sure this a mulberry. In my experience, a lot of people call me and ask why their mulberry doesn’t bear fruit. In most cases this is not a mulberry at all but a Carolina basswood or American linden (Tilia americana). Even as a forester, I have on a few occasions missed the ID of basswood and called it a mulberry. The easiest way to check is to wait until the leaves come out and break the leaf off the twig. If a milky sticky sap comes out, it is a mulberry. If you don’t get the milky sap, it is a basswood.

As noted by many people including HG, bees and basswood are a great combination if you want good honey.