Carpenter bees problem

I assume that's what they are called. Big as bumble bees. Swarming big time here, not around the house but in the outdoor kitchen. They are even chasing off the humming birds around the feeders. Attempting to bore into the wood frame. I spray wasp/hornet killer all over the wood and kill several. Back they come in droves. Didn't see anything at Lowes or the feed store for them. Only do it during the day. If I can figure out where they're at night I'd do the damage on them as I do the shiners. Any ideas? Thanks.

The ones I have burrowed holes into my shed. I went out there at night with a flashlight, and could see them up in the holes. There was one in nearly every hole. I think they stay in there at night. Wouldn't hurt to check.

Just did that, thanks. Didn't see any but did it anyway.

Get some plastic bats give them to the little kids and teach them to play bat the Bourdon (French for bee) that's what we used to do and it was something to past the day

What Belizaire said. As a kid we used wooden slats, badminton rackets, or anything else to swat them around my grandparent's barn. I've seen some cases where they would bore three feet or so into a timber--amazing.

I routinely spray liquid sevin on all exposed wood and after a few days will rarely see them. Sevin is toxic to all bees and although highly touted as a great gardening insecticide is counter productive for crops needing bees for pollination.

You can also fill a pump sprayer with kerosene and spray the bees with it. knocks them down and dissolves their wings. this one was passed down by an old farmer and is not recommended but it will stop them from buzzing around.

Around Natchitoches, there are several old houses made of bousillage (a mixture of mud, deer hair, and moss). They generally are whitewashed to keep the bees from boring into the walls.

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I routinely spray liquid sevin on all exposed wood and after a few days will rarely see them. Sevin is toxic to all bees and although highly touted as a great gardening insecticide is counter productive for crops needing bees for pollination.

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I didn't think about the pollination. They do look like the same bees that were around all my fruit trees while they were flowering. All the trees have fruit now, so I guess they moved over to the outdoor kitchen. If I sprayed them now with sevin, I most certainly hope they will still come back next year to pollinate. I want to be sure before spraying. Thanks.

I saw them by the hundreds yesterday in the top of an old tobacco barn on our farm. Too many to even think about spraying.

I've gotten some Termite spray insecticide that is also for carpenter bees. Spectracide is the brand and get at WM, Lowes, HD, etc. Comes with a small spray tube and you insert the tube into the bored holes and spray. have also heard that the bees will eat chewing gum put into the holes and it will kill them somehow, but IDK about that. The spray works, but you have to spray the insecticide fairly deep into the bored holes as I've read they bore deep and have several routes or tunnels in the wood.

Randy.....this is what you need....... http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.co...enter-bee-kits

Thanks for the help fellas. I appreciate it.

https://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/a...carpenter+bees

This site is similar to the one "G" posted, they sell the same stuff the pros would use if you called them. The site is full of info, and you can ask them questions you may have. I've ordered from them before, for general bug control, like spiders etc. They are very helpful and ship fast and free.

I have no affiliation with them.

I like what I see in those links, but now worried about pollination for next year (and subsequent years) from what Buckeyekdog posted earlier. I have a fine crop of fruit trees - satsuma's, lime, grapefruit, plum, peaches, avocado, and trying-my-best with an apple tree. Also blackberries, etc. No fig trees (hint, hint Gene :))

If I kill those bees off, will they come back next year? I need them for the pollination. One of my simple joys in this hectic world we live in is tending to the fruit trees and the garden. And, believe it or not, I was investigating of starting a bee hive or two for honey out here. I'll put that on the back burner for now.

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Originally Posted by Tracker123

I like what I see in those links, but now worried about pollination for next year (and subsequent years) from what Buckeyekdog posted earlier. I have a fine crop of fruit trees - satsuma's, lime, grapefruit, plum, peaches, avocado, and trying-my-best with an apple tree. Also blackberries, etc. No fig trees (hint, hint Gene :))

If I kill those bees off, will they come back next year? I need them for the pollination. One of my simple joys in this hectic world we live in is tending to the fruit trees and the garden. And, believe it or not, I was investigating of starting a bee hive or two for honey out here. I'll put that on the back burner for now.

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you two are just having too much fun...........bees sound like a very good idea.....

Randy talk to the guy at the Pest Stop on Kaliste. Saloom. Rd. He is from the Monroe area knows a lot about D-Boone.too.

From mo. get DELTA DUST Works all around the house and outside

Type in delta dust got mine out of georga

Randy....the carpenter bees do pollinate....but you should have other bees to do that. You could paint the wood and stop them as they are not very attracted to painted wood. When I used to do pest control work after I retired from my real job lol....we sprayed the wood down with a wetable powder but I cannot remember the name of it. But anyway click here and you can study the biology and habits of carpenter bees http://extension.missouri.edu/p/g7424

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Originally Posted by "G"

Randy....the carpenter bees do pollinate....but you should have other bees to do that. You could paint the wood and stop them as they are not very attracted to painted wood. When I used to do pest control work after I retired from my real job lol....we sprayed the wood down with a wetable powder but I cannot remember the name of it. But anyway click here and you can study the biology and habits of carpenter bees http://extension.missouri.edu/p/g7424

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Demon WP or Cyper WP? Sprayed that around the perimeter of the house last year, no wasps!

Excellent article G! I attempt to learn something new everyday, thanks for posting. I figured there was something up when some of them were being tough guys chasing the hummingbirds from the feeders. House, shop, studio, etc. is good. Just the outdoor kitchen because I built it to look rustic, so really don't want to paint. Thanks to everyone that has posted here, I'll have a solution shortly.

A spray bottle with a dawn dish soap and water mixture kills them. Thats what we would do when they were in the holes.

I bought the stuff to get rid of those bees, have it ready to go. Thanks for the help guys. But, they are now gone. Haven't seen them in the past four days. Don't know if they knew I was talking about them or what. In the meantime, garden is all planted. Something(s) getting in there and digging up the newly planted corn seeds. Nothing else, just the corn seeds. I have a short fence around the area to keep the rabbits, etc. out of there. It's been regular, and Ann is replanting the corn regular - bless her heart it's getting on her nerves. This evening, after replanting the corn seeds again, she put dog hair on the area she planted. She read it somewhere. Hope it works.

Haven't seen any snakes this spring crawling out of the woods either. I guess they knew as well that Ann and I have been talking about them in the annual anticipation of them coming out. Guess they decided amongst themselves it's safer in the woods. Not there is any firearms around here or anything.

Buy a box of seed treatment at the farm supply....its a redish looking powder....put your seeds and some of it in a sack and shake it up....then plant them.....stops crows, other birds, field mice and voles etc.

Thanks G I'll keep that in mind. I put some sunflower seeds out and they're OK. I think it's raccoons doing the work. The rows are very neatly dug up and all I have to do is drop in a seed and kick the dirt back over. Two 40' rows I've planted 3 times. A friend suggested blood meal so I might try that next. Thinking about putting the field camera in the garden and catch the buggers in action. :)

Bet your right Anne....Yep....raccoons love corn .......Critters been eating my cat food....have to put their feed bowl up each night. I got a live trap.....had it set and baited two weeks now....score.....nine possums , two coons

Randy are you sure those were bees and not mini spy drones. That might be why they left. You could also try a shocking wire over your corn. Just remember to disconnect when you are watering!

Could have very well been mini spy drones Danny, nothing to see out, here move along I say. No need to look in that spot over there - it's just where I keep the pool noodles and the badminton set :rolleyes:

Thought about an electric wire in the garden. We have one of those underground "fences" for the dogs here. We like for the dogs to be able to run. Installed 3,000 ft. of wire in the ground around the perimeter. Put the flags out, and here we go training the dogs. Abby got shocked, bolted into the house, up the stairs, and hid in the bedroom closet. Ann was very uptight about that - said she didn't want her to get shocked. It was one of those moments fellas, what can I say, and I'm sure you can imagine. All is well now, and it works well.

If I run a hot wire across the "underground fence" from the garden, I believe there might be an interference. What I found interesting about the underground "fence "systems is that you wrap the wires together to bring it to the control box - which cancels out the transmission to the collars.

Sorry about the rant - made me start thinking about it.

Just get a coon hound ..................Anyway coons have been comeing up on my carport and eating the car food....I never can get a shot at them so I placed a live trap in the edge of the woods where I see them go when I run them off....So far in two weeks the count is 10 possoms and two coons.....a hand full of dry cat food baits the trap.

Three dogs are enough at the moment G :). I hear you about the possums and coons living in the country. When the possums play dead out here when they see the dogs, it get's them uptight. Have to put them in the house until the possum leaves. The armadillos are a different story. Very ignorant animal. I've seen them start running, and run into a tree just like you would see in a cartoon. I have never seen such an animal attract the maggots as fast as them after they're dead.