Problem with Carpenter Bees ? ...........Solved

[RTR]

These little critters are a real pain and very destructive to a homes exterior .Early spring & summer they love to drill a perfect 1/4"Dia.one inch deep hole in the eves of my house/houses .Their smart , their eye sight and reaction time is incredible . They like to stay just out of range of any 'jet stream ' type spray, So.The tool that outsmarts them every-time is.
A 22 Cal. rifle with #12Long Rifle shot-shell,I use CCI.The trick is, to catch them in a hover(a few feet away from the house) AT 5 to 6 yards UP.At this range the shot pattern will insure at least one of the (pepper size) pellets hits em,and it only takes one pellet to knock em down.I first discovered this technique 30 years ago at our log-home that I built & have used it every year since....Just be careful !

 

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[bowwinkles]

I live with them, they still pollinate so in our area the bee population is very low and anyone who gardens knows the bees are important.

 

[Tpmetal]

My uncle used to sit around his barn and have a blast shooting carpenter bees with snake shot out of a .22

 

[relic nut]

I've done that with a reproduction 44 Navy Colt pistol and just 15 grains of powder and wax to seal the cylinder. It's a blast, and if they are close they come out well done.

 

[RTR]

I live with them, they still pollinate so in our area the bee population is very low and anyone who gardens knows the bees are important.

Theres nothing to "pollinate" on ones home.

 

[dirtlooter]

yep, totally different bee. I react badly to these bees, usually have a swollen area with hit fever for a day or so. not so with regular bees or even wasps. if we saw one going into a hole, we pushed a smaller rod in and squashed them.

 

[sawmill man]

When all my little nephews come around i give them the badminton rackets , keeps the bees and kids occupied , for just about all day.

 

[BIGSCOTT]

I wonder if one of those air/salt guns that you use for fly's would work?

 

[bowwinkles]

Theres nothing to "pollinate" on ones home.

No but the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers planted in the planters close do. WE lost our natural bee population to over spraying in the area.

 

[sawmill man]

Back in the 90s my dad had a 150 x 250 ft air drying shed for lumber collapse full of dryed lumber , what a mess, the insurance guy came out and went through it and said it was bee damage. cut pieces of the rafters out where they broke and bees had drilled almost through. almost had honey combed rafters.

 

[Kray Gelder]

Sounds like fun. But probably not so good within the city limits. They have infested an old greenhouse behind my house, and I'm afraid my house is next. I have been hosing them down with everything I can think of, and have reduced the population, but not entirely. They are pretty docile, but the wasps have found them, so I've got wasps and carpenter bees swarming around. Maybe the wasps will kill them off.

 

[Kray Gelder]

No but the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers planted in the planters close do. WE lost our natural bee population to over spraying in the area.

Yeah, well, after they eat your house, you'll still have veggies. See sawmill man's post.

 

[Dr. Witty]

i use one of those electrified fly swatters from Harbor Freight tools. They work great for popping those little pests.

 

[bowwinkles]

Yeah, well, after they eat your house, you'll still have veggies. See sawmill man's post.

A small structure built out of a couple old 2X4s, properly placed attract them to the desired area and away from the troubled area. There is non toxic sprays that can be put out also to deter their appetite for the areas you wish to keep them from.

Pyrethrins are natural insecticides derived from chrysanthemums. They are less toxic than most insecticides and they do a good job of repelling carpenter bees. Spray around the entry hole and then plug the hole as you would when using other insecticides.

 

[Kray Gelder]

A small structure built out of a couple old 2X4s, properly placed attract them to the desired area and away from the troubled area. There is non toxic sprays that can be put out also to deter their appetite for the areas you wish to keep them from.

Pyrethrins are natural insecticides derived from chrysanthemums. They are less toxic than most insecticides and they do a good job of repelling carpenter bees. Spray around the entry hole and then plug the hole as you would when using other insecticides.

If you look at the active ingredients listed on insecticides, they are all some kind of 'rethrin. And, in my opinion are fairly ineffective. There IS a problem with disappearing honey bees, but when these critters are eating one of your buildings, I would like to use some of the banned chemicals and be done with them. Just saying.

 

[Frankn]

i use one of those electrified fly swatters from Harbor Freight tools. They work great for popping those little pests.

I changed mine over to 9v batteries. Now they go down in flames.

 

[pepperj]

[FONT=&quot]Carpenter bees can damage soft wood of your home, but how do you know if the bee you see is a bumble bee, honey bee, or carpenter bee – and whether you should beware its sting, protect it as an endangered pollinating species, or eliminate it to prevent damage to your home?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Following are a comparison of the three bees, and information on the damage caused by carpenter bees and what you can do to control them.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

​

[/FONT]
[h=3]Carpenter Bee[/h]

• At 1/2 to 1 inch long, most are similar in size to bumble bees, but some species can be as small as 1/4 inch long.
• The back end of this bee’s body (abdomen) is shiny black and mostly hairless, its body parts are more distinct than those of the bumble bee
• Some species black, green or purplish. may have various markings with minimal hairs
• They nest in the soft wood of trees, homes and other structures
• The male cannot sting, the female can but is unlikely to unless provoked

[h=3]Bumble Bee[/h]

• The bumble bee is 1/2 to 1 inch long; it is stockier than the carpenter bee.
• These bees are fuzzy, furry creatures with black and yellow bands across its body.
• They nest underground; travel from the nest to flowers to gather pollen.

[h=3]Honey Bee[/h]

• about 3/4 of an inch long
• Its head and legs are black; the center of its body (thorax) is furry and pale/yellowish in color; the back end of its body (abdomen) is shiny with alternating dark and orangish/yellowish bands.

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

• They nest in hives and are an endangered species.

[h=3]Carpenter Bee Damage[/h][FONT=&quot]To create their nests, carpenter bees bore round holes into soft wood, which they then build out with expanding tunnels and galleries, or “brood chambers.” (See below, “In the Carpenter Bee Nest,” for more on this.) The carpenter bees prefer soft woods, such as cedar, redwood and soft pines, that are at least two inches thick to enable the building out of its nest.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

​

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Initial damage is slight, but as the bees build out their tunnels and chambers to raise successive generations, the structure of the wood can be damaged and weakened by the internal hollowing.[/FONT]
[h=3]In the Carpenter Bee Nest[/h][FONT=&quot]In the spring, the carpenter bees mate; build or expand their nests, and lay their eggs. To do so:[/FONT]

• Carpenter bees bore a round hole into soft wood. For large carpenter bees, the hole is about 1/2 inch in diameter; it is much smaller for the small bees.
• Once the hole is about an inch deep, the bee then turns its boring to follow the grain of the wood and create a tunnel, initially about 6 to 8 inches in length.
• Along the tunnel, the bees construct “brood chambers.” Into each chamber is placed a ball of food made of pollen and nectar. Then an egg is laid in the chamber and it is sealed shut.
• When the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the pollen/nectar mix then emerges as an adult.
• This development can occur in about a month, or longer or shorter depending on geography and temperature. The bees can produce up to three generations during a summer, with each female depositing 6 to 8 eggs in each brood.
• The colony will overwinter in the wood, then mate and being again the next spring – continuing to build out the tunnel and breeding chambers as the population grows.

[FONT=&quot]

​

[/FONT]

[h=3]How Do You Know if You Have Carpenter Bees?[/h][FONT=&quot]The following are signs of carpenter bee infestation in wood:[/FONT]

• Like carpenter ants, carpenter bees do not eat the wood (termites do eat wood). Rather, the bees excavate the tunnels, depositing the wood shavings outside the nest. This and defecation outside the tunnel openings provides evidence of carpenter bees.
• Male carpenter bees will flit around the opening of the nest, guarding it against other flying insects and predators. Thus if numerous bees are seen around your home’s eaves, doors, windowsills, decks, shingles, etc., - where no hive is visible, it is likely that they are carpenter bees.
• Bees will be seen early spring through late summer. During the winter, the bees will overwinter down in their nests within the wood; mate in spring, then emerge through summer to gather food. In warm, southern areas, you may see the bees year round.

[FONT=&quot]References[/FONT]

• Penn State University Entomology

 

[RTR]

Sounds like fun. But probably not so good within the city limits. They have infested an old greenhouse behind my house, and I'm afraid my house is next. I have been hosing them down with everything I can think of, and have reduced the population, but not entirely. They are pretty docile, but the wasps have found them, so I've got wasps and carpenter bees swarming around. Maybe the wasps will kill them off.

Dunno never lived 'in city limits'

 

[Kray Gelder]

[FONT="]Carpenter bees can damage soft wood of your home, but how do you know if the bee you see is a bumble bee, honey bee, or carpenter bee – and whether you should beware its sting, protect it as an endangered pollinating species, or eliminate it to prevent damage to your home?[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT="]Following are a comparison of the three bees, and information on the damage caused by carpenter bees and what you can do to control them.[/FONT]
[FONT="][CENTER]

[/CENTER]

[/FONT][/COLOR]
[h=3]Carpenter Bee[/h]
[LIST]
[*]At 1/2 to 1 inch long, most are similar in size to bumble bees, but some species can be as small as 1/4 inch long.
[*]The back end of this bee’s body (abdomen) is shiny black and mostly hairless, its body parts are more distinct than those of the bumble bee
[*]Some species black, green or purplish. may have various markings with minimal hairs
[*]They nest in the soft wood of trees, homes and other structures
[*]The male cannot sting, the female can but is unlikely to unless provoked
[/LIST]
[h=3]Bumble Bee[/h]
[LIST]
[*]The bumble bee is 1/2 to 1 inch long; it is stockier than the carpenter bee.
[*]These bees are fuzzy, furry creatures with black and yellow bands across its body.
[*]They nest underground; travel from the nest to flowers to gather pollen.
[/LIST]
[h=3]Honey Bee[/h]
[LIST]
[*]about 3/4 of an inch long
[*]Its head and legs are black; the center of its body (thorax) is furry and pale/yellowish in color; the back end of its body (abdomen) is shiny with alternating dark and orangish/yellowish bands.
[/LIST]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT="][/FONT]

• They nest in hives and are an endangered species.

[h=3]Carpenter Bee Damage[/h][FONT="]To create their nests, carpenter bees bore round holes into soft wood, which they then build out with expanding tunnels and galleries, or “brood chambers.” (See below, “In the Carpenter Bee Nest,” for more on this.) The carpenter bees prefer soft woods, such as cedar, redwood and soft pines, that are at least two inches thick to enable the building out of its nest.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000][FONT="]

​

[/FONT]
[FONT="]Initial damage is slight, but as the bees build out their tunnels and chambers to raise successive generations, the structure of the wood can be damaged and weakened by the internal hollowing.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[h=3]In the Carpenter Bee Nest[/h][COLOR=#000000][FONT="]In the spring, the carpenter bees mate; build or expand their nests, and lay their eggs. To do so:[/FONT]

• Carpenter bees bore a round hole into soft wood. For large carpenter bees, the hole is about 1/2 inch in diameter; it is much smaller for the small bees.
• Once the hole is about an inch deep, the bee then turns its boring to follow the grain of the wood and create a tunnel, initially about 6 to 8 inches in length.
• Along the tunnel, the bees construct “brood chambers.” Into each chamber is placed a ball of food made of pollen and nectar. Then an egg is laid in the chamber and it is sealed shut.
• When the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the pollen/nectar mix then emerges as an adult.
• This development can occur in about a month, or longer or shorter depending on geography and temperature. The bees can produce up to three generations during a summer, with each female depositing 6 to 8 eggs in each brood.
• The colony will overwinter in the wood, then mate and being again the next spring – continuing to build out the tunnel and breeding chambers as the population grows.

[FONT="][CENTER]

[/CENTER]

[/FONT][/COLOR]

[LIST]
[/LIST]
[h=3]How Do You Know if You Have Carpenter Bees?[/h][COLOR=#000000][FONT="]The following are signs of carpenter bee infestation in wood:[/FONT]

• Like carpenter ants, carpenter bees do not eat the wood (termites do eat wood). Rather, the bees excavate the tunnels, depositing the wood shavings outside the nest. This and defecation outside the tunnel openings provides evidence of carpenter bees.
• Male carpenter bees will flit around the opening of the nest, guarding it against other flying insects and predators. Thus if numerous bees are seen around your home’s eaves, doors, windowsills, decks, shingles, etc., - where no hive is visible, it is likely that they are carpenter bees.
• Bees will be seen early spring through late summer. During the winter, the bees will overwinter down in their nests within the wood; mate in spring, then emerge through summer to gather food. In warm, southern areas, you may see the bees year round.

[FONT="]References[/FONT][/COLOR]

[LIST]
[*][URL="http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/carpenter-bees"]Penn State University Entomology[/URL]
[/LIST]

That's a great post, Pepperj! Informative. If one has a carpenter bee problem, one will know it. The big, fat, hairless, and shiny black bees hover about their home turf, in groups. If you get near, they dive bomb you, but don't sting ( in my experience ), but are unmistakable with the bumble bee. Twice I have had issues, my last house they were chewing on a lean-to attachment on a free standing garage, and this time are slowly boring away at this green house. We just bought the place, so it is our first spring here. No doubt, they have been established in this structure for years, because there are dozens of them flying around it. My spraying has killed many, but many remain. I never eliminated them completely at my last place. I may just tear the green house down.

 

[Kray Gelder]

Dunno never lived 'in city limits'

Ha ha. I envy that! The freedoms we have when living out of town are so much greater. Social responsibility, and all that. Peppering your neighbor's house with lead pellets is unpopular. I have a cousin who grew up and lived in the country, and as a teenager spent a summer with his grandmother in town. She complained about the crows that would roost in her big elm tree, raising heck, and pooping all over. Naturally, shooting them from the upstairs window seemed like a perfectly logical solution. He received a good talking to from the local police!