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Discussion Forum

Carpenter bees & trim boards

bd | Posted in General Discussion on April 19, 2009 09:04am

I was out watching the carpenter bees buzz around some of our fascia that they’re turning into swiss cheese. Got to wondering if there’s anything out there in the way of trim that they will avoid. Do they get into Azek, Komo, Trex?

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  1. User avater
    Dinosaur | Apr 19, 2009 09:26pm | #1

    In general, insects to not like the cedars (red or white), which is why cedar chests have been used for centuries to protect woolens from moths, etc.

    Dinosaur

    How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
    low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
    foolish men call Justice....

    1. smllr | Apr 19, 2009 09:46pm | #2

      I've discovered (to my dismay) that carpenter bees will bore into Eastern red cedar. I had some rough-sawn cedar 2xs stored in my barn loft. The bees ruined several boards. IMO, you would have to go with a man-made material.

      1. MikeSmith | Apr 20, 2009 01:05am | #6

        carpenter bees.......

        i've  seen them in red cedar.....white cedar.....redwood....oak....pine.....

        i haven't seen them  in synthetics

        and..... they  leave a substance behind that attracts other carpenter bees

        to return to the scene of the crimeMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

        1. User avater
          Dinosaur | Apr 20, 2009 01:54am | #8

          Hope I never see any of them up here.

          Dinosaur

          How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....

          1. User avater
            FatRoman | Apr 20, 2009 04:16am | #10

            It's the plumber bees you've got to watch out for.Suckers make some huge holes in wood, almost like they're carrying around bee sawzalls or something.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

            View Image

          2. MikeHennessy | Apr 20, 2009 02:49pm | #27

            "It's the plumber bees you've got to watch out for."

            LOL! Now that made my morning. ;-)

            Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

        2. bd | Apr 20, 2009 01:06pm | #15

          My browser windows won't let me do a reply all to thank people for the replies. At any rate, thanks for the feedback.Mike, I think I remember you saying you use Azek products. But Azek recommends against dark colored paints on their products, right? What would you use for fascia, trim boards, etc. if you had to go to dark colors?

          1. MikeSmith | Apr 20, 2009 01:14pm | #16

            Miratech...... we use a lot of .... much more than we use Azekdon't know hat the bees think of thoughMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

          2. bd | Apr 20, 2009 01:48pm | #19

            Thanks. Will check it out.

          3. Hackinatit | Apr 20, 2009 01:49pm | #20

            The bees leave the miratech alone.

            Maybe its because the squirrels chew on it.A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.

          4. smllr | Apr 20, 2009 02:18pm | #23

            On no!! I've just installed Miratec trim on my shop. I will keep an eye out for squirrel damage. In the past I've used an animal repellent that I purchased at Tractor Supply. It has kept the squirrels from gnawing on my house trim.

          5. MikeSmith | Apr 20, 2009 05:45pm | #34

            squirrels  get  pretty  dumb....  think it's  from  eating  the  lead  flashing  around  the  chimniesMike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

          6. VTNorm | Apr 20, 2009 02:02pm | #22

            "But Azek recommends against dark colored paints on their products, right?"

            Sherwin-Williams Duration is 'vinyl safe' (and Azek ok's its use), you can get it tinted in most colors including dark ones - but there are limitations. S-W has a standard color pallet for PVC's but can tint beyond that, just be sure to tell the clerk that it's going on PVC so you don't get one of the few shades that shouldn't be used on it.

            http://azek.com/setcontrol/download_file.php?id=1&table=document&field=file

            -Norm

             

          7. User avater
            lindenboy | Apr 20, 2009 06:14pm | #35

            Their dark color specs have changed recently -- you might look up a product rep in your area."It depends on the situation..."

    2. bd | Apr 19, 2009 09:47pm | #3

      We've got red cedar clapboards over that old black celotex sheathing. Some years ago, a carpenter bee decided a nice warm sunny spot about 3 ft from our chimney would be a nice place for a nest. It dropped down about an inch below the overhanging edge of the top clapboard & bored a hole straight through to the celotex. Obviously, that was not a good spot for a nest, so it dropped down 2 boards, drilled another hole. Repeated that process all the way down the wall. It took me about a year to get around to replacing those boards. At the beginning of the next summer, I walked out & looked at that stretch of wall & had 6 or 8 more 1/2" holes reaching down to the celotex. I haven't bothered to replace them.They don't seem to like that celotex, but it's not much good for trim.Around here, cedar seems to be a favorite. I've got two friends with cedar log homes that have been eaten up by the bees. I don't know about the new PT stuff, but the old PT is also just fine as a homesite as far as they are concerned.

      1. User avater
        Dinosaur | Apr 19, 2009 09:58pm | #5

        That's interesting; I wouldn't have thought any animal as small as bees could tolerate the poisonous gasses present in cedar--which is what makes it smell so nice to us...but at a low concentration relative to our size.

         

        Dinosaur

        How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....

    3. brucet9 | Apr 20, 2009 07:36am | #12

      I have a 90 foot tall incense cedar tree on my property at Lake Tahoe that has been home to carpenter ants for 50+ years that I know of.BruceT

  2. PedroTheMule | Apr 19, 2009 09:54pm | #4

    Hi bd,

    I was out watching the carpenter bees buzz around some of our fascia that they're turning into swiss cheese. Got to wondering if there's anything out there in the way of trim that they will avoid. Do they get into Azek, Komo, Trex?

    They've never touched my hardie plank and they've never messed with my window frames which are very similiar to the material Trex is made of.

    I've also "never" had a problem with any spruce that's been primed with Kilz followed by two coats of a quality latex semi gloss exterior paint.

    Pedro the Mule - Now how do I get paint out of my fur?

  3. Pelipeth | Apr 20, 2009 01:20am | #7

    No problems with those products. Sometimes a PITA if gutters are involved.

  4. frenchy | Apr 20, 2009 03:27am | #9

    I have black walnut and never seen any carpenter bees.. However the wasps do seem to be willing to make their nests anyplace..

    1. bd | Apr 20, 2009 01:01pm | #13

      F,I've got a stash of curly black walnut I've been sitting on for years, but I don't think I want to use it as house trim.

  5. shtrum | Apr 20, 2009 05:07am | #11

    The pressure-treated pergola over our patio has been a home for a small colony about 4 years now.  They've hatched and are now emerging, right on time.

    I've found one of my sons' wiffle ball bats seems to make them vacate the premises.  Unfortunately, they return a few minutes later.

     



    Edited 4/19/2009 10:08 pm ET by shtrum

    1. smllr | Apr 20, 2009 01:03pm | #14

      I have a friend who uses a badminton racket to swat the bees.

      1. rez | Apr 20, 2009 01:31pm | #17

        Badminton racket is the best tool for eliminating the bees and getting some exercise in the process. Light weight for those quick moves.

        Ever now and then one will get stuck in the racket and you can tell from their faces that if they could get free they would kill you.half of good living is staying out of bad situations

        1. bd | Apr 20, 2009 01:41pm | #18

          Believe it or not, I've actually managed to hit a few of them on the fly with a pellet pistol. The ones I get have learned to stay just above the edge of the roof when I'm out there with something to swat them. As soon as I move on, they're back. Dang that's aggravating.

          1. rez | Apr 20, 2009 01:52pm | #21

            Ya, that's true now that you mention it.

            Once when I was dead set on eliminating the whole tribe I had managed most but the few remaining would pull that prank

            so I'd get a step ladder and hide behind the sunny corner they frequented.

            Ah, the memories of summer warmth.

            Killing always heats my blood. half of good living is staying out of bad situations

          2. jjwalters | Apr 20, 2009 02:25pm | #24

            My cabin is board and batten white pine (like the old barns)Damb bees make me crazy . . . used a ping pong paddle for a while . . then got a butterfly net that works far better than anything...You trap them . . roll them in . . .take down to the deck and step on the em . . . crack! . . . .. pure joy.Last year I got overly pissed and stepped on one with my bare foot and the sucker drilled me right in the hollow of my instep . . . DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME!My Blog

          3. rez | Apr 20, 2009 02:42pm | #25

            Ah, you'd payed to play that round.

            badminton rackets have a nice spring that sometimes sets them sailing across the yard.half of good living is staying out of bad situations

          4. User avater
            Dam_inspector | Apr 20, 2009 02:48pm | #26

            I love my Harbor Freight high voltage badminton swatter. I puts a number on most flying insects. Well crawlers too if you can get them to crawl on it.

          5. shtrum | Apr 20, 2009 04:08pm | #29

            badminton raquets . . . where's the sport?

            i'd much rather have my neighbors thinking i'm some crazed lunatic, swinging a wiffle ball bat and running around like a caffeinated chihuahua

             

          6. rez | Apr 20, 2009 04:12pm | #30

            running around like a caffeinated chihuahua

            Ha! That was good.half of good living is staying out of bad situations

          7. shtrum | Apr 20, 2009 04:20pm | #31

            the real fun is when the police get involved

            the first Tazer's the worst . . . the next few, not so bad

             

          8. User avater
            Dam_inspector | Apr 20, 2009 04:36pm | #32

            You can't feel them if you're pumped up on monkey adrenalin.

  6. frenchy | Apr 20, 2009 03:25pm | #28

    Have you tried hornet and wasp spray?   The can I've got will spray 22 feet away and it sure does a great job on killing wasps..

    1. bd | Apr 20, 2009 05:27pm | #33

      Yes, I have. When I feel like sitting & waiting to ambush them. It definitely works, but it's at most a one kill event whenever I go out. I actually bought some insecticide that is supposed to kill / repel them if put on early in the season. However, that's stuff so toxic, I don't like using it.

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