Your unwanted tenants are most likely yellowjackets. They're ground dwellers, and they can be a (painful) nuisance. If you're of a mind to live and let live, then using an alternate entrance and exit from the house might be your best solution, as they're not about to go anywhere else soon...all the comforst of home right where you don't want them. Otherwise, you're faced with having to find a method of extermination that's quick and foolproof.

When we were foolish children many, many moons ago, we weren't quite as environmentally sensitive as we might be today, and pouring gasoline down the hole at night...and then ignition provided from afar, would normally do the trick...while burning and killing everthing else within reach of the flames. Brave and mighty were we...LOL! Today, we're far more knowledgeable, and we rely on chemicals sprayed from a can...LOL! Things really haven't changed all that much I suppose...

I have 6 km of groomed trails on my farm where I walk my dogs and ride my horses. Every year, these wasps make a home somewhere on the trail, and I have no option but to destroy the nest as I've been thrown from a stung horse, and have had a dog with a hugely swollen leg from multiple stings. The first thing is to locate the entry to the nest. Then go back at dusk when the wasps are in the nest, and "bomb" it with a commercial wasp killer. It is a foam that is toxic to them, and you basically seal the hole with the foam. It comes in a aerosol can, and you can get it at most hardware stores. Good luck!

There is a quick and easy method to get rid of them. Wait until night and they toss a handful of sevin dust into the entrance of the nest. When the bees pass thru the dust they track it into the hive and they will all be dead by morning.

Hi....Last fall my dogs were attacked by bees multiple times. I had no idea what was going on each time...I thought they ran in through the doggie door, tearing thru the house...in and out playing with each other until the 2nd time the one came in, she sat and tried scratching herself. I saw 7 very small dark colored bees on her that I swatted and killed. She immediatly had about 15 welts on her that continued to swell. I gave her benedryl and watched her the rest of the day. The other dog only had 3 stings. This happened twice. I determined the bees must be in the ground in the front yard. As I walked toward my front yard and had a couple chase me around the house and inside. There are no hives in my trees anywhere. These are not yellow jackets. They look like tiny honey bees but are dark in color and are very very aggressive. I have carpenter bees, hornets, yellowjackets, bumble bees...but these are none of those!! They sound like africanized bees I have read about, however, I live in update NY. Is this possible? Will they still be there this spring? If so, does anyone know how do I I get rid of them.??? They are vicious!!! And we are outdoor people....

We have been experiencing them on our property in Central Pennsylvania. Tonight my 3 year old was attacked and stung by one while playing on her slide. I granbed her and ran for the house while this bee continued to swarm us! My husband has been stung 5 times this summer so far. What are these things?!?!?!

I had a similar experience on Saturday. I was watering my fruit trees in Northern Virginia early in the morning. At the base of one of my Asian pear trees there was a 2-inch diameter hole; I guessed it was dug by the many chipmonks we have in the yard. I began filling the hole with water and out swarmed a bunch of small honey-be-like bees. I was stung 5 times and none of the bees left their stinger, which seems to indicate wasp-like insects.

I agree with Corinnenk. These are not yellow jackets or wasps. it looks like a bee. And there are extraordinarily aggressive. I've always sat on my front porch and had plenty of wasps and bubble bees and never been bothered. Tonight I sat down and was immediately stung by two of these little aggressive bees. They're swarming around both near a container on my porch and at ground level. In fact I've noticed that the normal bumblebees that are around my lilac bushes are now missing. Does anyone know how to get rid of them?

Just in case anyone else runs into these little aggressive bees, they are called "sweat bees". Look up in wiki under "halictidae". If you can get a good look at them they are metallic green or red. They do hurt when stung.

I was just stung by a lone ground bee. This is the second time I have been stung while working in this wooded area. The first time it stung me three times in my inner thigh. Today I was stung twice on my hand. This bee was not satisfied to sting me once! It kept coming after me and chased me into the house. After I slammed the door shut, the bee continued to buzz by the window! Highly aggressive! Fortunately, I am not allergic to bee stings, but the sting on my thigh left a golf-ball size purple bruise. This bee seems to fit previous descriptions here. It is definitely not a sweat bee as they are small and there stings do not hurt so much. This bee looks somewhat like a large bumble bee; it could be a carpenter bee, but it’s bigger and has more yellow/orange coloring on it. I garden a lot, and work with bees around me all the time. I have never had a bee chase me as this one did. I am thankful that it is a loner. I can not imagine the damage that a swarm of bees like this one could do.

To add to what I just wrote ... I just found their underground nest. They look like small bumble bees with an orange abdomen. There are now many of these bees swarming around what was the entry to their nest.