carpenter bees are eating my tool shed

[danno]

I hate to kill them but for 2 years now they have been eating the header and roof rafters on my tool shed.  Last night I saw one go into one of the many holes so I sprayed it. The insecticide came out another hole 2 ft away

[Cindi]

Danno, plain and simply, sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do, and it sounds like you took action that is 100% required.  You have to look out after number 1, absolutely.  That must be a real bummer having these carpenter bees doing so much damage, that would be rather annoying to say the very least.  Have a beautiful and great day, lovin' and livin' our life.  Cindi

[bassman1977]

I agree.  Wack 'em.   :evil:

I have heard that honey bees will push these types of insects (wasps, hornets, etc) out of the area.  I don't know how true that is or to what extent, but I think that has happened at my place.  We used to have a LOT of paper wasps, but now I see them diminishing the longer I have hives.

[indypartridge]

I agree.  Wack 'em.   :evil:

I have heard that honey bees will push these types of insects (wasps, hornets, etc) out of the area. 

I wish. I've got more carpenter bees eating my cabin and barn than I've ever seen before. Kill them, Danno! These are bees from the Dark Side!

[tig]

instead of killing them why not try to bait them elsewhere?  we get old branches of trees or some leftover planks of wood, bore holes on them and stick them into the ground or hang from trees. the carpenter bees normally move to those instead of houseposts.

[heaflaw]

I keep an old badmitton racket at my tool shed and swat the guards when I see them.  If I see a hole where they are working, I spray insecticide.  But there are so many that I probably solve only 5% of the problem each year.  They really do a lot of damage to soft pine.  I fully expect to climb on the roof of my barn someday and fall through what looks like sturdy rafters.

[JP]

I agree.  Wack 'em.   :evil:

I have heard that honey bees will push these types of insects (wasps, hornets, etc) out of the area.  I don't know how true that is or to what extent, but I think that has happened at my place.  We used to have a LOT of paper wasps, but now I see them diminishing the longer I have hives.

Sorry, I have to disagree, have had carpenter bees and wasps right there next to the honeybees.

Carpenter bees are attracted to un-painted, un-treated lumber. Either use treated wood or many coats of oil based paint as a deterrant. Now with the ones you have now, treat the holes with a residual dust, then seal immediately, at night, then paint.

You will most likely continue to have a small problem after you paint with the emerging bees, but keep on them and break the cycle, and you will succeed.


...JP

[Michael Bush]

1 part borax. 1 part water 1 part jelly. Mix well and put where the ants can get to it.  In a paper bowl with some grass for a bridge works well.  Wet it now and then so it doesn't dry out.

[stoweski]

1 part borax. 1 part water 1 part jelly. Mix well and put where the ants can get to it.  In a paper bowl with some grass for a bridge works well.  Wet it now and then so it doesn't dry out.

What does this do, attract the carpenter bees so they will drink the stuff? Does it also attract honeybees or other beneficial insects as well?

I'm hoping that you aren't recommending putting this mix in the holes that the carpenter bees left. :)
I can hardly imagine what critters would be attracted to the jelly!

[Michael Bush]

>What does this do, attract the carpenter bees so they will drink the stuff?

Eat is more like it.  They will take the borax back and feed it to the larvae which it will kill.

> Does it also attract honeybees or other beneficial insects as well?

Not that I've seen.  But you can put it where the bees can't get to it easily enough.  #8 hardware cloth on the top of the bowl will let ants through but not bees.

>I'm hoping that you aren't recommending putting this mix in the holes that the carpenter bees left.

I just put it where I see the ants.

[JP]

1 part borax. 1 part water 1 part jelly. Mix well and put where the ants can get to it.  In a paper bowl with some grass for a bridge works well.  Wet it now and then so it doesn't dry out.

What does this do, attract the carpenter bees so they will drink the stuff? Does it also attract honeybees or other beneficial insects as well?

I'm hoping that you aren't recommending putting this mix in the holes that the carpenter bees left. :)
I can hardly imagine what critters would be attracted to the jelly!

Michael thinks you mean carpenter ants. You could use a borate powder or another dust for carpenter bees in the holes that they must go through, they will inadvertantly get the dust on them and groom and injest the dust, thus dying accidentally.


...JP

[Michael Bush]

I just noticed it when I opened it.  Yes you're talking about carpenter BEES.  I was thinking ants.  Still borax is a great insecticide...

[mark]

mix a solution of borax and paint or spray problem areas.   all insects hate borax. taxidermists use it to repel dermistids which would otherwise feast on the mount.

[stoweski]

Thanks for the response. I have sevin which I had planned to use, sparingly, in the holes when I get up there to paint (it's on a second story). Borax/sevin mix may be a good choice for the holes. I think I'll plan to have all options available to me and nail them with everything I got! I'm absolutely fed up with them.

Keith

[SignQueen]

Paint, or stain, Carpenter bees are not interested in wood that is painted or stained. I get asked this all the time and I have first hand experience with it. Also my husband is a carpenter.

[SgtMaj]

Instead of using harsh chemicals and insecticides that will undoubtedly harm other benefitial species, get a minnow net from a tackle shop (I got mine from bass pro, it's pretty big and works great)... they are very easy to catch in the net, then you just stomp on them.  I spent about 4 hours doing that spread out over 3 days earlier this year and haven't seen another one since.  Problem solved and best of all, nothing else was harmed in the process.

[JP]

Instead of using harsh chemicals and insecticides that will undoubtedly harm other benefitial species, get a minnow net from a tackle shop (I got mine from bass pro, it's pretty big and works great)... they are very easy to catch in the net, then you just stomp on them.  I spent about 4 hours doing that spread out over 3 days earlier this year and haven't seen another one since.  Problem solved and best of all, nothing else was harmed in the process.

What could be more harsh than catching them in a net and stomping them to death!


...JP

[eri]

And I disagree with the paint/stain theory. Just restained my house last year (western red cedar) and this year the carpenter bees are worse than in the three years I've been here.

[SgtMaj]

What could be more harsh than catching them in a net and stomping them to death!

Chemicals that kill them, the birds that eat them, and anything else that happens to run across the trail of chemicals left behind... then eventually get's washed down to the soil where it contaminates the soil and eventually washes down to the rivers and lakes where it pollutes and destroys the ecosystems there, too.

I mean you can do what you want... I'm just saying, there's another way that doesn't leave a path of destruction a mile long.

[qa33010]

Just painted my rafters and beams and they left it alone.  Not been back in about fifteen years.