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| Stay alert and keep your Cairns safe from potential bee stings! |
When
dandelions exploded all over the yard, I set right out to minimize the
potential risk to my Cairns, whose sweet black noses are inevitably drawn to
these festive little blooms. Having seen
them snatch up bugs and worms from time to time, and one icky slug, I am
acutely aware that they have no idea – whatsoever
- that bees might not be a good thing to snack on as they sniff their way
around the smorgasbord we humans call a lawn - and the bees do love dandelions!
As I crisscrossed the yard with my mower, I saw many fat bees, going from one bloom to another, and I started to worry about the possibility of accidentally sweeping one into my lawnmower bag… which I would then have to empty. I told myself that surely any bee would scoot off as my noisy mower approached their location, so no need to worry.
But I decided to test this theory…
I brought my mower, going full throttle, right up to the edge of a perky dandelion which was hosting a busy bee, working its magic. To my amazement, the bee never flinched. It just kept working! When it was good and ready, it hopped over to the next bloom and set to work – not caring in the least that my mower was sitting there blasting away.
Apparently bees don’t hear! Who knew?!! The jingle of my Cairns’ tags might warn off a cat, a squirrel, a flock of birds, or a bunny, but it is not going to scare off a bee.
Bees are important environmental workers, so we don’t want to harm them, but many of us have to be alert to their presence so we can avoid a nasty sting that may cause a terrible allergic reaction, life threatening in some cases. Avoidance is the best policy.
Probably a bee sting will not kill a dog, but it can cause serious problems if the dog has an allergic reaction. If your dog happens to swallow a bee, an allergic reaction could be very serious indeed, and will absolutely require quick intervention by a vet.
So this is just a reminder to keep your eyes open - and keep your Cairns and other pets away from the dandelions and clover!
As I crisscrossed the yard with my mower, I saw many fat bees, going from one bloom to another, and I started to worry about the possibility of accidentally sweeping one into my lawnmower bag… which I would then have to empty. I told myself that surely any bee would scoot off as my noisy mower approached their location, so no need to worry.
But I decided to test this theory…
I brought my mower, going full throttle, right up to the edge of a perky dandelion which was hosting a busy bee, working its magic. To my amazement, the bee never flinched. It just kept working! When it was good and ready, it hopped over to the next bloom and set to work – not caring in the least that my mower was sitting there blasting away.
Apparently bees don’t hear! Who knew?!! The jingle of my Cairns’ tags might warn off a cat, a squirrel, a flock of birds, or a bunny, but it is not going to scare off a bee.
Bees are important environmental workers, so we don’t want to harm them, but many of us have to be alert to their presence so we can avoid a nasty sting that may cause a terrible allergic reaction, life threatening in some cases. Avoidance is the best policy.
Probably a bee sting will not kill a dog, but it can cause serious problems if the dog has an allergic reaction. If your dog happens to swallow a bee, an allergic reaction could be very serious indeed, and will absolutely require quick intervention by a vet.
So this is just a reminder to keep your eyes open - and keep your Cairns and other pets away from the dandelions and clover!
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