Carpenter bees

[rhino]

I have the ultimate solution!

Here's what we do: we find a skinny female Carpenter Bee named Karen and convince her that she's too fat. She'll stop eating. Once that process reaches the inevitable conclusion, her brother bee, Richard, will be too despondent to do any more damage to wood. He'll just make greatest bee hits infomercials.

 

[Frosty]

I have the ultimate solution!

Here's what we do: we find a skinny female Carpenter Bee named Karen and convince her that she's too fat. She'll stop eating. Once that process reaches the inevitable conclusion, her brother bee, Richard, will be too despondent to do any more damage to wood. He'll just make greatest bee hits infomercials.

We should be paying for this kind of wisdom and insight!

 

[rhino]

Greatest Hit: "We've Only Just Bee-gun"

 

[JettaKnight]

I have the ultimate solution!

Here's what we do: we find a skinny female Carpenter Bee named Karen and convince her that she's too fat. She'll stop eating. Once that process reaches the inevitable conclusion, her brother bee, Richard, will be too despondent to do any more damage to wood. He'll just make greatest bee hits infomercials.

Too soon.

 

[KJQ6945]

I have industrial wasp spray, and short of drowning them in it, it has no affect on them. The best thing I've found to kill them is CRC brake clean. It shoots pretty far, and it's pretty cheap. Hit them with the brake clean and they fly about 100 feet, then fall from the sky. A buddies mini barn was infested with them, and we eliminated them all in an afternoon.

 

[churchmouse]

I have industrial wasp spray, and short of drowning them in it, it has no affect on them. The best thing I've found to kill them is CRC brake clean. It shoots pretty far, and it's pretty cheap. Hit them with the brake clean and they fly about 100 feet, then fall from the sky. A buddies mini barn was infested with them, and we eliminated them all in an afternoon.

Be careful of wind direction doing this.....ask me how I know.....

 

[Cameramonkey]

Too soon.

If Mama Cass had shared her ham sammitch she and Karen would still be with us.

 

[tmschuller]

I have industrial wasp spray, and short of drowning them in it, it has no affect on them. The best thing I've found to kill them is CRC brake clean. It shoots pretty far, and it's pretty cheap. Hit them with the brake clean and they fly about 100 feet, then fall from the sky. A buddies mini barn was infested with them, and we eliminated them all in an afternoon.

If you light IT you can make a mini flame thrower... And yes it works fine.

 

[tyrajam]

I have industrial wasp spray, and short of drowning them in it, it has no affect on them. The best thing I've found to kill them is CRC brake clean. It shoots pretty far, and it's pretty cheap. Hit them with the brake clean and they fly about 100 feet, then fall from the sky. A buddies mini barn was infested with them, and we eliminated them all in an afternoon.

I've never tried that, but I've taken a few wasp nests out with oven cleaner. It drops them on contact, they literally rain down onto the ground. Good times!

 

[tmschuller]

Went to the barn last night and to pull out the assault racket and it was bees 0 and Tim 10. . and 1 wasp. Buzzz wack, buzz wack! Dismembered bees.

 

[Porter]

If you throw seven dust on the holes they will track it in and out they are all dead by morning.

 

[GoBoilers!]

The good news on carpenter bees is that the males cannot sting, and they are the ones usually trying to scare you away, hovering around your head. The females are timid and won't bother you unless you handle or hit them. I have had them in the door frame of my backyard shed for years (only a few holes) and they have never bothered me at all.

If you want some official recommendations, I copied this from a Purdue publication:
"Once holes are drilled, an insecticide powder or dust (carbaryl - which is Sevin, boric acid or diatomaceous earth) can be puffed into the tunnel opening. The tunnels must be left open for a few days to allow the returning bees to contact the insecticide. Afterwards, the holes should be plugged using caulking, a short dowel or wood putty and then repainted to discourage future use."

It also says that they do not like to drill in treated or painted/varnished lumber.
If you want to read more, here is the link: https://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-252.pdf

Happy shooting / whacking / swatting / spraying / whatever else floats your boat.

----
GB!

 

[SmileDocHill]

A tennis racket works great for them. Probably killed 30 of them one spring at a previous house. I don't know if it was the neighbors seeing this or me unloading the car after a range trip but I was from then on referred to as the wood bee assassin. I always meant to ask how they spelled that.

 

[bobjones223]

I have industrial wasp spray, and short of drowning them in it, it has no affect on them. The best thing I've found to kill them is CRC brake clean. It shoots pretty far, and it's pretty cheap. Hit them with the brake clean and they fly about 100 feet, then fall from the sky. A buddies mini barn was infested with them, and we eliminated them all in an afternoon.

Throw a lighter in front of that and I think you could officially say "S**t just got real!".

 

[Frosty]

A tennis racket works great for them. Probably killed 30 of them one spring at a previous house. I don't know if it was the neighbors seeing this or me unloading the car after a range trip but I was from then on referred to as the wood bee assassin. I always meant to ask how they spelled that.

I murdered about 20 last night with a cheap tennis racket, then my 2 year old would run over and stomp them until the guts squirted out... I think he has some pent up anger...

 

[Chance]

Pump Seven dust into the hole. Works great on hornets too. Carry it into the hive and kills them all.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I murdered about 20 last night with a cheap tennis racket, then my 2 year old would run over and stomp them until the guts squirted out... I think he has some pent up anger...

Lol... on a nice evening this week, while my daughter was playing outside there were a lot of them doing something in the grass (hovering, then landing in the grass). It was the perfect opportunity so I grabbed the tennis racket. At one point I missed one and it immediately came after me (typically the males flee when threatened, would this indicate it's a female?). In self defense I began wildly swinging the racket until I made contact, I quickly chased the black blob hurtling across the sky until I realized there were 2 blobs. I had successfully dismembered the bee mid-air with the tennis racket. Which gave me an idea. Our bee-wacking racket is in such bad shape it is no longer used for tennis. It could really go for a re-stringing. What if I were to re-string it with a monofilament fishing line? Thinner, less visible, and easier to "slice" through the bees which would eliminate the need to find where they land and step on them.

Thoughts?

 

[Frosty]

Lol... on a nice evening this week, while my daughter was playing outside there were a lot of them doing something in the grass (hovering, then landing in the grass). It was the perfect opportunity so I grabbed the tennis racket. At one point I missed one and it immediately came after me (typically the males flee when threatened, would this indicate it's a female?). In self defense I began wildly swinging the racket until I made contact, I quickly chased the black blob hurtling across the sky until I realized there were 2 blobs. I had successfully dismembered the bee mid-air with the tennis racket. Which gave me an idea. Our bee-wacking racket is in such bad shape it is no longer used for tennis. It could really go for a re-stringing. What if I were to re-string it with a monofilament fishing line? Thinner, less visible, and easier to "slice" through the bees which would eliminate the need to find where they land and step on them.

Thoughts?

Probably pollinating, there are hundreds of them on our red bud tree when it blooms. I've seen them on the creeping Charlie that grows in the yard. I saw one with pollen on his legs going into a hole the other day. The males will fly at you when you swing and miss, they will fly towards you if you wave your hand at them. They aren't social like a bumble bee, they fight with each other, bumble bees and honey bees have a pecking order per say.

I'm going to go buy one of those electric fly swatters at harbor freight and see how those work. My only fear is missing and crushing it against a porch post!

 

[tmschuller]

I've tried the electric swatter did not do as good a job as the badminton racket. Lighter and easier to swing. Electric swatter is awesome on flies.. Skeeter's

 

[Frosty]

I've tried the electric swatter did not do as good a job as the badminton racket. Lighter and easier to swing. Electric swatter is awesome on flies.. Skeeter's

Would it work on cats? If so that would be totally worth the price!