I don’t know what your opinion is on bees, but for the most part I like them. I guess that’s probably kinda a given – just look at my name, my web address, and blog. Honey bees are probably my favorite because I love honey. Bumble bees I think are just plain cute. However yellowjackets, hornets, and wasps I can’t really say I have much love for…especially when they decide to take up residence in my home.

It started maybe 2 weeks ago when I caught Chena playing with a yellowjacket in the kitchen. I killed it and thought nothing else about it figuring it must have just flown in the door when someone was on their way in or out. The second one I found in the living room and still didn’t cry “NEST!” The third one is when I started to get suspicious. My parents were visiting last week and as we were getting ready to leave the house, I heard a lot of commotion upstairs. I called up and asked if they were ready to go and my mom yelled down, “Hang on! We’re killing a bee!” The fourth I found when I got home late last Saturday night. I came into the house and was walking upstairs when I noticed something rather large on the wall. Yellowjacket…again. Hm.

I talked to my uncle about it last night who said that yes, it did sound like I might have a nest somewhere. In the attic, perhaps? Or maybe by the dryer duct? I had decided to wait until this weekend and have a look around to see if I could spot any massive bee comings and goings around the outside of my house, but then I found the fifth bee who was also the last straw.

This morning I got up, let Chena out, showered, dressed, and headed into the kitchen as per usual to make some coffee and breakfast when I nearly stepped on a yellowjacket on the floor of the kitchen…in bare feet, I might add. Can anyone think of a nicer way to start the day?

That did it for me.

I called Terminix when I got to the office and they came out this afternoon to do a sweep of the house and, low-and-behold, found two yellowjacket nests. One is strategically placed just to the right of my front door, and the other is conveniently in the attic. And for the bottom basement price of just $440, they will rid my home of the nests, the bees, and any other creepy-crawleys (read: spiders, ants, fleas, silverfish) for a whole year. Hm.

It’s not that $440 is necessarily a bad price – in fact I think getting rid of the bees alone, not to mention the ants, is a huge help and certainly worth it, I just don’t understand why this had to happen NOW. I mean, I’ve been in this house almost 3 years and it’s not until the year I start my new financial plan that I get nasty yellowjacket squatters. What’s up with that?

Thankfully, I have my emergency fund and, well, I know that’s what it’s there for, but I do feel like every time I get finished replenishing it, something else happens forcing me to dip into it again. I guess it’s true what Dave says about the emergency fund being “Murphy repellent” insomuch that it takes the crisis out of the financial aspect of minor emergencies, but what it doesn’t do is keep him away completely. Sigh.

Why can’t Terminix exterminate against Murphy? Now THAT would be worth $440.