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), and experienced cool weather over the last three or four weeks.
I think that's keeping the insects relatively inactive right now.
Except for the mosquitoes.
A drainage ditch borders my property, and when it's raining that ditch stays wet, although the sun dries it up after the rains leave.
Those mosquitoes seem to love breeding in that ditch whether it's dry or wet though.
The rascals pester me all summer long.
Just last evening as my lady sat on the porch visiting with her niece, mosquitoes bit her five times on one arm, and she wore a long-sleeved sweatshirt.
I've noticed a few flies wondering around.
Usually this time of year those big black bottle flies plague me.
You know those; the ones that fly lazily around your head constantly.
The noise of their buzzing is what pesters me the most, especially when I'm trying to concentrate on some project I have going.
They aren't the nuisances this year they were in years past.
I miss the flies only because my pest control training makes me notice insect activity, and my seasonal bug treatment routines became near automatic some years ago.
What I noticeably miss are the bees.
I watch for the bees each year for a couple reasons.
The main reason is the disappearing populations of honeybees the news media reported the last two or three years.
I prefer honey from beekeepers that gather and sell it fresh from the hives.
With the diminishing numbers of bees, availability of fresh honey is dwindling too.
Yellow jackets seem smaller in numbers this year also, and I've seen very few bumblebees.
When yellow jacket and bumblebee populations build up close enough to the house to threaten or spoil my cookout fun, and sting my guests over the summer, I locate and eradicate their nests.
I remember one day mowing the grass before I started this bee nest search routine.
As I mowed by a woodpile I felt a little sting that hurt just a small amount more than a mosquito bite.
I looked down and noticed a bump growing that I instantly recognized as a bumblebee sting, but a very small one.
I ignored the sting, continued mowing, and at that same spot on the next pass, I felt more stings.
Checking this time I found three more bumps.
These too, were very small sting sites.
That got my attention.
I turned the mower off, and started investigating the area where the bees stung me.
As I watched, I noticed very small bumblebees flying into, and away from, the edge of the woodpile.
Getting as close as I dared I seen they were babies, and a lot of them.
As the summer moves toward fall you begin seeing bees in higher numbers.
Those increased numbers are the babies growing up.
If you see them flying to a specific spot, and that spot is close to any outdoor activities you plan, I advise you investigate closer (just not too close).
You probably have a nest of bees growing.
Locate the nest by following their flight paths.
They fly to and from the nest all day, and the activity becomes heavy in the evenings.
Wasps and hornets act the same way.
If those nests are close to your lounging and cookout spot, you must eliminate the nest - or risk stings to yourself, your kids, and your guests.
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