Bees die after they sting you. Wasps, the Yellow Jackets, do not and one can sting you multiple times and they release a pheromone when they do sting you that alerts oter wasps in the area that one of their own is under attack, by you, come and help. Bees will seldom sting because they are more interested in gathering the nectar and bringing it back to the nest. I have been stung by bumblebees, twice when that bee flew into a door I had just opened, apparently in its flight path and it fell onto my arm and stung me, and once more when one flew up my pant leg and could not find its way out. Otherwise I have been out cutting down flowering buckwheat, asters, and many other flowering plants loaded with nectar gathering bees and they have not bothered me. I have also been out mowing when the White Dutch Clover in the lawn is in bloom and bees were working those blossoms and they simply move to other blossoms and have never stung me because I was mowing, but I have had Yellow Jackets sting me while I was mowing, apparently because they thought I got too close to their home, or maybe just because.

One of my favorite stories my dear departed Grandpa used to tell was about fishing up on the Two Hearted River. He had got a ways back in the woods fishing the river when it was "business" time. He got back off the river a bit and his drawers down when he got hit a few times right in the backside. Later in the camper Grandma had to pull some stingers out for him. He said it was amazing how fast a person can run with pants around their ankles.... he was probably about 75 years old at the time. My way favorite home remedy for insect stings is Absorbine Jr. Really a rather nasty brew of menthol, acetone, and stuff like wormwood oil. When I want to smell like a guy I dab on Absorbine Jr. and Old Spice... makes gals say I smell like their Grandfather. Almost INSTANTLY kills the sting from bees, wasps, and mosquitos. I suspect one of the chemicals in it disassembles the venom at a molecular level. Pretty much ends the sting and swelling when applied. Sometimes a strong hornet sting will need a second dose the next day to keep it from itching. Probably not the best stuff for people sensitive as the solvent portion would spread the venom deep in the flesh. I always have a bottle as I use it on my ankles when tight socks make them itch. My worst sting was a swig from a Pepsi bottle. I thought for a moment I had eaten a spider but it stung me on the lip as I spit it out. Talk about a bee stung lip look. : ) lyra

Sunflowers will attract bees during the period they are in bloom, but they tend to bloom over a short period. They will also attract birds as the seeds begin to ripen, which can be a mixed blessing. As already stated, sunflowers have a large aggressive root system, so they will compete with other plants nearby. They also can cast a lot of shade, so they should be planted on the North side of shorter vegetation. Catnip & milkweed have been suggested to attract pollinators, and they will... but both are very invasive perennials, and if grown, they should be given a dedicated space outside the vegetable garden. Cosmos is a very good bee plant; it blooms quickly & continuously, has a less competitive root system, and the lacy foliage allows some light to penetrate. Basil is good too, and has a long blooming period if the old flowers are removed... but it will bloom late. There is a flowering mallow that is one of my favorite bee plants, Malva sylvestris "Zebrina". It is a self-seeding annual that blooms early, and continues until frost. It is a very heavy pollen producer; I've seen several species of bees working the flowers at one time. I've allowed it to naturalize in my garden, so it is a welcome "weed" which replaces the wild mallow that was already growing there. Great advice by Aniajs, especially regarding diversity of flowering plants, and overlapping bloom periods. Cucumbers & squash will attract bees on their own, since they are good pollen sources & bloom over a long period... but you might want to consider plants which bloom earlier, to draw them in. I realize it won't help you much this year, but it is a worthwhile exercise to drive around your neighborhood each week, and note what is in bloom... both wild & cultivated. I don't know the size of your lot, but don't overlook trees... box elder & birch are some of the first places where I see bees active in Spring.

We had a nest of the little suckers in the kitchen wall earlier this summer. I couldn't figure out why I kept finding wasps in the kitchen but chalked it up to them coming in through open doors. One morning I was outside watering plants and saw one crawl into the pipe that functions as a drain for the water heater that is under one of the kitchen cabinets. My husband blocked the opening with some wire mesh and they managed to chew through it so he then capped the pipe. They finally stopped getting into the kitchen, so I guess the nest eventually died. The area where the water heater is blocked by an access wall, but they must have been small enough to squeeze through the area where the wall met the inside of the cabinet. Once we found the nest, we had an explanation of why there were so many wasps hanging around the deck and why they seemed more aggressive than usual. It also explained the sting hubby received between his toes when all he was doing was standing out on the deck minding his own business. Hope the horse is feeling better, Bob. A few years ago, one of our dogs got into a nest and was stung several times. They would not let go and I was trying to brush them off of her when she got away from me. She ran all the way to the neighbor's house, which is over half a mile away, before she stopped running.