So it is beneficial bee, I saw some at my backyard. I have lots of wasps too and I am trying to induce them away from the grape vines and fig trees.. how? I covered the fig trees with bird net to dicover two small birds trying hard to pull the net or break it. Close examination I found that there is abird nest in the tree with very small three babies.I had to take the net off. catch 22

They are definitely bumble bees. I'm just not completely sure what type. For a while, I thought they were Golden Northern Bumble Bee. Now that I've been watching them for a few days, I think they are Common Eastern Bumble Bees. We've had yellowjacket nests in the past and don't mess around with them. They almost had my husband in the hospital. When he accidentally disturbed their nest, the YJs chased him down the street and stung him 14 times. He was on Benadryl for 2 weeks following. These fellas are about 12 mm long and kind of chubby looking. They have a large furry black head, a yellow furry thorax with a big black spot on the top, and a black furry abdomen. They have two rather see through black wings which the fold overlapping on their back when they are mumbling around on my flowers. They also have black legs on which you can see big sacks of pollen when they are returning to the nest. And, as I said, they are really quite docile. The only time we upset them was when my husband pushed the lawnmower right over the top of their nest. Other than that, you can sit on the ground right next to them and watch them go in and out for hours and they won't bother you a bit. But at this point we are VERY CAREFUL not to tromp on their entrance holes and I won't let the children play anywhere near the nest. (The dog is, of course, more difficult to control - the big goofball.) What I keep wishing for is a nice hungry skunk. The children are generally allergic (cats, dogs, rabbits, pollen, nuts, milk, wheat, etc.), but neither has ever been stung. Unfortunately, we didn't have them tested for bee sting allergies when we had them tested. So at this point, it's an unknown. We do have epi-pens which I carry around for "just in case." About the Rotenone . . . I read online that it is not toxic to bees except in combination with pyrethrum. Here is the link: http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/rotenone.htm The Rotenone/Pyrethrins mixture that Bonide sells is a liquid spray. If someone pours this liquid down their hole at night, won't that cause them to come out in attack mode? I think I'm just a little confused as to logistics. I think I'll try the water/hose method first. It would be optimal to just convince them to move house.

Maybe a Great Black-backed Gull? This is a BIG gull with diverse tastes: "Great Black-backed Gulls are supreme opportunists. They follow fishing boats to pick up scraps of bait and discards, take garbage from trash cans and landfills, patrol beaches looking for morsels that wash up from the sea, harry other seabirds to steal their catches, and ruthlessly prey on smaller birds, eggs, and chicks. " Claire

Do you have the manual for your Honeywell thermostat? If yes, what is the B terminal? Normally it is the heat pump control. The B terminal on the thermostat is connected to a black wire. The the B terminal on the control board is blue. Have you figured that out? I looked at XV80 documentation I found on line. I see a terminal on the control board labeled B/C. The note says it is the common connection. You should be able to find the the product data document if you search the model number. You may be able to use the B wire for the C connection. You need to be careful and not fry your new thermostat. The R and Rc (normally tied together) is the 24 V supply. The C is the ground. The WiFi radio draws most of the power. If there is no ground then the 24 V circuit is not complete. The Nest will then power itself with the internal lithium battery which lasts about a day.