Any suggestions for dealing with carpenter bees?
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Take away their beer.
carpenter bees
I can't, they're union and its in their contract. But seriously folks, these things are destroying the cedar columns on my customers screened in porch. I am in Georgia and if you aren't familiar with these bees they drill a perfectly round 3/8 in hole in any exposed wood (even pressure treated and cedar) and then make a 90 degree turn. Then they honey comb the inside of the board to make compartments for their larva. If this isn't bad enough woodpeckers then try to drill right through to the chambers.
Supposedly
"Spraying" Sevin (the pesticide) up into the holes they drill. Of course, aiming an hitting that hole with wasp spray "might" stop 'em.
Tennis racket.
What Calvin said, and plug the holes with a shot of caulk (per my pest control guy.)
Problem?
Are they under cutting your bids?
Taking yer work?
If their union, you might not wanna go up against them. :-D
These pesky devils are a major problem over here. I'll get a pic of the traps we use here and post it on Mon. night. They love to bore into Cedar and Redwood, both very soft and easy for them. I wash, then sand, fill with epoxy, prime and paint the whole area. Stops them for awhile, but then they will find another edge to bore into. Treated pine they leave alone for many years unless it is allowed to become sun weathered. They don't really sting, but they have one heck of bite with those mandibles. You have to get rid of their odor that marks the nest, so scrub it off good and all the dropping all over the area. Insecticides in the paint will move them away until it finally evaps off. Good Luck!
carpenter bees
Thanks, until then I will just supply my customers with a couple of badminton raquets.
tell them to swing hard! i've launched the fat little b____ds 30 ft with a flip-flop and still had to chase 'em down and stomp 'em before they fly away. they can withstand some serious Gs...
bee-dazeled
im in georgia too- only MY carpenter bees make a perfect 1/2 inch hole- im told they return to their nest- so, x them before they leave - think great stuff...
Has anyone tried this? It seems like it would work
Treat the holes with drione dust in the late evening after they've returned to the nest and are settled. Use 1/2" CORKS to seal the holes after you've dusted them and let them remain open for at least two days. Keeping them open will insure all the carpenter bees using the nest will enter and be killed; sealing them will allow the treatment to last for a long time which is key for killing the larvae that will be hatching next season.
To get rid of carpenter bees that are coming around for the future, spray the Cypermethrin on all exposed wood you have on you home. Carpenter bees will tend to look in areas close to where they've already been nesting so the existing nests will be attracting more bees until it's treated. Renew the Cypermethrin application once every 1-2 weeks if you keep seeing them around; eventually they'll move away as this treatment will tend to repel them from the area.To get rid of the carpenter bees that are nesting now, treat their holes with DRIONE DUST in the late evening after they've returned to the nest and are settled. Use 1/2" CORKS to seal the holes after you've dusted them and let them remain open for at least two days. Keeping them open will insure all the carpenter bees using the nest will enter and be killed; sealing them will allow the treatment to last for a long time which is key for killing the larvae that will be hatching next season.
Renew the Cypermethrin application once every 1-2 weeks if you keep seeing them around; eventually they'll move away as this treatment will tend to repel them from the area.
well, you certainly
have made it clear.
You dust the holes,and cork them.
but you leave them open .............
eventually they don't come back.
Yeah, I think I got it.
You must live in a one story ranch with no bushes and certainly not on a hillside with lots of plantings around the house.
dust holes, cork them, leave open....makes sense.
OK so it's not me, read that three times... thought I was real tired & was about to turn in
I think what was meant was:
dust them, leave the holes open for 2 days so all the little buggers get home, then cork them in. Not sure why cork would hold them when they eat through wood, but that's another question.