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I have always driven fairly dark coloured cars but now I drive a bright red Getz and have noticed a fairly sharp increase in the number of bee/wasp visits into the open windows. Has anyone noticed this sort of thing or are the bees in Yorkshire just becoming more inquisitive?
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Obviously your car is the hive of activity ;o)
Someone please pass me the communal coat.
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::removes coat and passes to Dave:: It was too warm anyway.
The attraction to red may explain the little incident where I was tootling through Wales heading for the Pembrokeshire coast for a spot of kayaking. Said Kayak (red) on the roofrack, sun shining and sunroof open.
Hear a series of dull thwacks on the kayak and glance up to see a stunned bee drop through the sunroof and land in my lap. I was wearing shorts.
Cue one emergency stop and brief attemt to re-enact the war dance of the Watoosie at the side of the road. A friend in the car in front thought my kayak was going to come through his rear window!
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a stunned bee drop through the sunroof and land in my lap. I was wearing shorts. Cue one emergency stop and brief attemt to re-enact the war dance of the Watoosie at the side of the road.
You think that's bad. Try getting one out of your motorbike helmet when you've opened the visor for a bit of air. I felt a thwack to the side of the face, followed by something crawling between the side of the helmet and my head. One emergency stop and I literally threw my helmet on the grass verge. Out pops Mr bumble bee, slightly dazed, but still very much alive.
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Has anyone noticed this sort of thing or are the bees in Yorkshire just becoming more inquisitive?
I've noticed it too: no need to travel the roads looking for 'em, I just had two of the little horrors fly in my office window. (Mercifully, quickly gone, or I'd still be quaking)
My friends tell me that the bees are just moving away from the overcrowded south-east in search of a better place to live :)
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Wednesday afternoon (driving windows shut) come off motorway after 20 miles. Sleepy looking hornet appears out of nowhere.
Emergency stop 15 yards short of roundabout, open window & off he goes - to bemusement of car driver who approaches behind.
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I must admit to a slight level of amusement this morning; an irritating and large fly had been buzzing aroudn the car driving me nuts.
I could only imagine the look of surprise on his face as he flew out of my window and thus accelerated from 1 or 2 mph upto 90mph in the space of about an inch.
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.....which prompts the question Mark:
Whats the last thing that goes through the mind of a wasp hitting the windscreen of a car travelling at 70mph?
Answer: Its backside....
DVD
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I must admit to a slight level of amusement this morning; an irritating and large fly had been buzzing aroudn the car driving me nuts. I could only imagine the look of surprise on his face as he flew out of my window and thus accelerated from 1 or 2 mph upto 90mph in the space of about an inch.
You've got it all wrong Mark, he was an extreme sports fly, 'car-surfing'
...
...
They do it for the buzz.
I know. I'm going...
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Is it Friday afternoon yet?
It's too hot to work. Anyone got a spare ticket to Greenland?
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>Is it Friday afternoon yet?
I do believe it's home time.
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Bees don't see colours like we do. They operate in a different part of the spectrum - either infra-red or UV, I can't remember which. Lots of flowers have patterns that we can't see but bees can. It may be that your Getz' red paint has more infra-red/UV emitters in it than your old cars paint. Or even your upholstery. Not sure this applies to wasps, though.
It could be more complicated than that entomologically speaking. There are plenty of other insects, especially hoverflies, that mimic bes and wasps (for personal protection reasons) and it could be some of these that are visiting your car. The number of hoverflies around has shot up in the last few weeks, so your visitations could just reflect the temporarily-higher population.
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Perhaps Wasps/Bees like the smell.
In HJ's Getz review he said "And the interior stinks. I mean literally stinks. Must be the plastics, but the pong is awful."
I've never heard that in any other review, so I don't know if its a one off or not.
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Perhaps Wasps/Bees like the smell. In HJ's Getz review he said "And the interior stinks. I mean literally stinks. Must be the plastics, but the pong is awful." I've never heard that in any other review, so I don't know if its a one off or not.
I've had the car for about a month now and I can't say I've noticed anything - just the usual "new car" smell :-)
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Two seperate sightings of something six times the size of a wasp (yikes) and similar proportions, don't recall seeing anything like it before. sameish colouring as a wasp, but not the same stripe pattern. Not a hornet because it had a 1cm fixed straight spike 'sting'. Is that description good enough to identify?
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I saw something sounding very similar last week - did it make a noise like a dragonfly and not a wasp-like buzz? Needless to say, SWMBO and I made a very sharp exit. I have to say I'll not be too upset if I never see one again!
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LOL Its flight I would describe as 'clattery', yes I was vaguely reminded of a dragonfly sound, but not appearance.
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one of these type of creatures was captured last week in a jam jar, by the mother of two children it was scaring in thier garden, according to the local paper, it was identified as a harmless "wood-wasp", and the "sting" is actually the ovipositer or egg tube.
billy.
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oops! sorry chaps, just read the rest of the thread and found that the question has already been answered, question is:-
did i post too late, or too early? :-)
billy
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I've noticed a lot more bees/wasps this year than usual. Must be the weather.
JamZ, could you tell us which model Getz you have and what you think of it so far?
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I saw one of those massive wasps at warwick services north bound last weds.
it flew out of tree, hovered in front of my face about 6 inches away, then went back to his tree.
i nearly shat in my thong! it was huge around 2 inches long looked like a massive wasp.
cant say i looked at his a55e tho.
any insect bods on here have any ideas?
was it a queen (not larry greyson, i know wot he looks like) ?
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This is how bored I was;
a wood wasp apparently.
Adam
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lol.
thanks adam, at least i will sleep better tonight.
thanks dude :-)
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Massive wasps are queens.the smaller ones are the ones to watch out for.I got stung by what I thought was a hoverfly.turned out was baby wasp.Right on the nose.It flew into car I knocked it against screen.it reflected back into my glasses.Boy what a sting.But am happy I dont have a red car now.dont seem to be attracted now.don`t know why though?
--
Was mech1
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I have the 1.5 CRTD and am extremely happy with it so far (about a month). The dealers are incredibly friendly/helpful and the buying process was very painless. The diesel one seems an awful lot faster than the quoted 0-60 time too. My main reason for buying one was the 5 year unlimited mileage warranty though to be honest. I really like the high driving position (so nice to be able to step out of a car rather than having to climb out) and there is loads of room inside for such a small car!
I can heartily recommend them if you are thinking of getting one!
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BZZZ
JamZ, for deviation !
the buying process was very painless.
So, apparently, would be a close encounter with a Giant Wood 'Wasp'. Ta for that Adam.
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- Chairman Nickelaaas has just given it back to Jamz because he was replying to Dylan.
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> I have the 1.5 CRTD and am extremely happy with it so far
That's good to know. I'm thinking of replacing my Yaris with a Getz. I'd be interested in the diesel except that they don't do it with aircon.
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I've had 4 red cars in a row without having had any undue attention from bees or wasps. Now yellow, that's a different kettle of fish entirely. I remember one occasion when a delivery driver just had to leave a yellow car at the factory and come back the next day when the little varmints had transferred their attention elsewhere!
--
L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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You usually get stung by car salesmen.....
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Booooooooo
Get him off - get him off now!
Adam
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Well you never, ever know if you've left one in tears over a deal...:-)
I know quite a few car salesmen and the behind the scenes info they've passed on over a few pints are eye openers.
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Most car salesmen say the biggest crooks are the customers. But that's hardly an objective view.
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When we used to have all the yellow ex BT & council vans,in the yard, the flies & bugs used to cover them.
Especially after we'd valeted & made ready for sale - the scent from the polishes & waxes mede them think they'd landed on a giant metal plant!!
VB
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"yellow ex BT & council vans"
Yellow is the preferred colour for insect traps (sticky traps), although they are also attracted to UV, hence the zappers in chip shops. Bees like blue, apparently, so I think the new car colour is a coincidence. There are a lot more wasps about this year, for some reason (I await the explanation from an erudite BR'er).
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Mother Nature normally varies the number of offspring of most species according to the food supply that will be available whilst they are being raised or make their way in the world.
Hence some years there are more birds nesting than others - in our area, for instance, sparrows are only just beginning to filter back because so much of their food supply has been affected by the loss or pollution of food sources.
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Bees like blue, apparently, so I th
Well, Blue is for bees and pink is for girls.
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On flying ant day a couple of weeks ago, my silver Leon (and all of the other silver cars) were covered in the little devils. Not other cars though, especially darker ones. Odd.
--
Dr Alex Mears
Seat Leon Cupra
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
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flying ant day
Is that a proposed new bank holiday?
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Actually flying ants' day is an example of Mother Nature's magnificence.
Almost invariably the ants all emerge within a couple of hours of each other (it's all to do with temperature, time of year etc apparently) and you will always see lots of gulls and other birds circling with great anticipation an hour or so before the first ants dry their wings and take to the air.
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Gosh thanks. I never knew...
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>>Gosh thanks. I never knew...>>
What's the winner of the last race today then?
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Any day now...
Those horrible storm/corn/harvest, call them what you will, flies that invade every orifice.
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patently's already well prepared.
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We call them thunderbugs, they cover everything once the corn starts being cut.
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"flies that invade every orifice"
Given the general tone of this thread, I can "anall day benders" making a comeback at any moment!
I offer this pre-emptive strike as a public service...
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:oO
Open mouthed at your audacity sir!
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Sorry, ND - I just wanted to spare others the embarrassment...
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And it should have been "I can see.." of course.
I'll stop digging now...
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Not wishing to think about orifices in that way, but do admit to absolute panic if a wasp (never had a bee so far, so probably will tomorrow) comes in through the open window in this weather.
I'd imagine they must have been responsible for a fair few accidents in their time. I know the ideal is don't panic, but it's pretty hairy trying to find a place to stop and leap out of your car in self-defence, with one of those flying round your face.
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