# black bumble bees?



## bsa_bob (Oct 31, 2010)

I had them burrowing arond in my facia board quite a bit before catching them, and therefore plugging their routes around inside the fascia board.I gets up on my ladder ..and filled the holes. ALL and many.with regular caulking out of a gun. I stepped out into my attached garage week later....and hear a sound............must be a woodpecker o/s hammerimg on that board i filled !,Sure enough it was!............ he had open all the trails i had plugged solid the week before. I know aluminum covering would be good way to go.. but its not in my budget for this summer. What can i fill those holes and trails with,[special caulking etc], that will keep those darn wood peckers from chewing up my fascia board i live in michigan help!! thanks all bob s


ps Caulking keeps the bees out ......but not the woodpeckers. I was going to shoot those peckers off the side of my roof, but was afraid i might shoot the neighbor.hes to good a guy for that:yes: just kiddin


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

There called boring bees.
Try to just caulk the holes in not going to do any good.
There boring in there to lay an egg and leave pollen for it to eat when it come out of the shell.
Once it comes out it will just eat another hole in the wood.
The wood peckers going after the larvi left in the hole.
Replace the wood and wrapping it with coil stock would be a perminate fix.


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## Larryh86GT (Feb 2, 2013)

I have seen a lot of damage done by carpenter bees and the woodpeckers going after the carpenter bees larvae on homes around this area. Covering the facia is the most practical solution. 

http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

When I worked as an exterminator I go to an older ladys house, as I go to ring the door bell it sounded like my ears were ringing. The lady comes to the door crying, the first words out of her mouth was please make it stop.
There was thousands of holes in the cedar sidng and the bees where inside the walls everywhere.

I killed all the bees, years later I drive by and there removing all the siding and going with Cedar Impression siding. No more bees.


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## bsa_bob (Oct 31, 2010)

*Wow!!.............I was thinking i could do this inexpensively, So i see what needs to be done.....funny thing is they were doing this to my garage carport.....i filled the holes with caulk, and sprayed the spots with bee killer,,,,,,,,,besides battling it out with them flying around while i was doing this.Never came back in 2 years.*


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## Donald32 (Mar 1, 2013)

joecaption said:


> There called boring bees.
> Try to just caulk the holes in not going to do any good.
> There boring in there to lay an egg and leave pollen for it to eat when it come out of the shell.
> Once it comes out it will just eat another hole in the wood.
> ...


I agree with this statement. They must be boring bees. And the solution of these bees is good. I will try it also and hope to get good result.



Brisbane Pest Treatment


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Near my part of the world they are called carpenter bees. The ones I have encountered are larger then bumble bees, extremely aggressive, loud and annoying but actually seldom sting or anything like that. They can bore perfectly round holes and build nests/hives in the spaces they decide they want and are dangerous mainly because of the damage they do in the process as far as I know. They do not produce honey or anything. 

Calling an exterminator is not a bad idea if you have an infestation of the things. You may have some wood restoration ahead of you after they are gone. Caulking may help but for only a minute. Never underestimate the damage they may have done. Like carpenter ants you may not notice it until you pull a piece of facia, exterior door trim or whatever off.

Woodpeckers do like the nests/hives but as you know, flock of those can create some noise too. You need to be a good shot or be into good old fashioned bird shot in a shotgun to nail a fast moving woodpecker. Unless your trained aim is really good with a handgun (like mine was once) and you do not wear continuous bifocal lenses (like I do now)... And then you have new holes in your facia or trim and as you suggested your neighbors will be frightened.


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

sdsester said:


> Near my part of the world they are called carpenter bees. The ones I have encountered are larger then bumble bees, extremely aggressive, loud and annoying but actually seldom sting or anything like that. They can bore perfectly round holes and build nests/hives in the spaces they decide they want and are dangerous mainly because of the damage they do in the process as far as I know. They do not produce honey or anything.
> 
> Calling an exterminator is not a bad idea if you have an infestation of the things. You may have some wood restoration ahead of you after they are gone. Caulking may help but for only a minute. Never underestimate the damage they may have done. Like carpenter ants you may not notice it until you pull a piece of facia, exterior door trim or whatever off.
> 
> Woodpeckers do like the nests/hives but as you know, flock of those can create some noise too. You need to be a good shot or be into good old fashioned bird shot in a shotgun to nail a fast moving woodpecker. Unless your trained aim is really good with a handgun (like mine was once) and you do not wear continuous bifocal lenses (like I do now)... And then you have new holes in your facia or trim and as you suggested your neighbors will be frightened.


 
Shoot em for all I care but know this:whistling2:

*All wild birds are protected by state and federal laws, with the exception of the European
starling, rock (feral) pigeon, and English sparrow. This means that you cannot shoot at,
trap, poison, or otherwise kill, capture or possess one without a permit.​*


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

chrisn said:


> Shoot em for all I care but know this:whistling2:
> 
> *All wild birds are protected by state and federal laws, with the exception of the European
> starling, rock (feral) pigeon, and English sparrow. This means that you cannot shoot at,
> trap, poison, or otherwise kill, capture or possess one without a permit.​*


Damn. I wanted an excuse to buy me a shotgun or print out an automatic weapon on a 3D printer today. You have ruined my day!:yes::laughing:


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## chrisn (Dec 23, 2007)

sdsester said:


> Damn. I wanted an excuse to buy me a shotgun or print out an automatic weapon on a 3D printer today. You have ruined my day!:yes::laughing:


 
sorry


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

Keep a tennis racket handy. That'll help knock 'em outta the air, to then be stomped on; with murderous zeal. Kill as many as you can. They'll dive bomb and generally act all aggressive but it's all bluff. 

Damn things bored the hell out of two of my old fence posts. They'll generally skip boring into painted surfaces, but everything else is fair game.


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## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

I have heard that only the female of this species is able to sting. The males are the most aggressive though. There is no way for the naked eye to tell the gender.

Talk about useless information!


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## Chokingdogs (Oct 27, 2012)

wkearney99 said:


> Keep a tennis racket handy. That'll help knock 'em outta the air, to then be stomped on; with murderous zeal. Kill as many as you can. They'll dive bomb and generally act all aggressive but it's all bluff.
> 
> Damn things bored the hell out of two of my old fence posts. They'll generally skip boring into painted surfaces, but everything else is fair game.


LOL

my neighbor turned me on to "bumble bee badminton" the first summer i was in the house. we had tons of carpenter bees, so that was an entertaining sporting event all summer long by his pool.

extra points if one can take out two with one swing.

a badminton racket, IMO, is a better option than a tennis one. lighter, more nimble for the double swings one needs at times, and more sporting since the string area is smaller.


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## oldhouseguy (Sep 7, 2011)

Chokingdogs said:


> LOL
> 
> my neighbor turned me on to "bumble bee badminton" the first summer i was in the house. we had tons of carpenter bees, so that was an entertaining sporting event all summer long by his pool.
> 
> ...


I was going to post about my racquetball racket last night when I read this thread. I didn't want to be the only bee killing psycho though. I find the wrist control of the racquetball racket really lets me get a good swing in.

I am really glad to read I am not the only guy who goes to war against these things in the spring and summer. 

I had 19 confirmed kills last year, and I leave the bodies out for a day to warn the rest of what lies ahead for them.

I will break the 20 mark this year, I can't wait to get started.

My live in girlfriend thinks I am insane with my zest for bee killing.

You can tell the gender once you've killed enough. I kill mostly the annoying males, the females are too busy making swiss cheese out of my deck.

I was considering some small firecrackers that just happen to be perfectly round, just like the holes they make. I decided the racket was at least sporting.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

oldhouseguy said:


> I was considering some small firecrackers that just happen to be perfectly round, just like the holes they make. I decided the racket was at least sporting.


Bill Murray used explosives in Caddy Shack!


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

oldhouseguy said:


> I didn't want to be the only bee killing psycho though.


Cheers!


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## gobug (Jul 13, 2012)

Carpenter bees prefer damp wood. In your climate, that could be any wood. Batting or shooting may be fun, but it only dents the population. A female will drill a hole then lay an egg, pack it with leaves, then lay another egg until the hole is full. Batting or shooting does not stop the eggs and larvae.

I suggest, late fall, using a repellent aerosol pesticide with a little straw on the spray can. Insert the straw in the holes and give each hole a little squirt. Then close the hole with something like a good caulk. After all the holes are closed, use a repellent liquid spray pesticide to coat the surface. 

Some easily available surface sprays will last a year. Spraying in late fall should give protection for the entire following summer. Spring surface sprays may not get into the holes already started. The surface spray does not stop the larvae from developing, it just repels the females looking for a place to begin a hole and family. The aerosol has a short life so it will only affect the bees in the holes.
gary


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## wkearney99 (Apr 8, 2009)

I believe a combination of efforts is in order. The links previously suggested using a dusting of insecticide in the holes and on the wood they're damaging. This to provide a path for the bees to travel through and get poisoned by it. Makes sense.

Batting them to the ground and stomping them would certainly not be the only method, just one to work out a bit of frustration while reducing their numbers.


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## oldhouseguy (Sep 7, 2011)

gobug said:


> Batting or shooting does not stop the eggs and larvae.
> 
> gary


Batting is too tough, has to be racqueting! 

Shooting would be fun if I had a tiny shotgun of some sort. I might have to design something. 

While racqueting, I sometimes use a hose spraying water to ensure that in the event of a miss, I don't get stung. I know only the females can sting, but I can't see their butts to determine that 100% when they are coming after me. They really do come after you too, this isn't a bee that just sort of accidently comes into your space, they start the fight.

Alas, you are right, I can attest to the fact that you can't possibly kill enough of them. 

There is a limitless supply. I would also suggest that while untreated wood seems to be their preference, I have holes that have been gnawed right through painted wood as proof that paint isn't 100% assurance against an attack.

The main reason I began the swatting was that one of my dogs started to refuse to go outside due to the fact that he was constantly buzzed, pestered, and otherwise brutalized by the males. One of my other dogs goes right back after them and is quite good at giving it back. :thumbsup:

The death racquet had to be used as a method of cover fire to allow the dogs to go outside in peace.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

oldhouseguy said:


> Shooting would be fun if I had a tiny shotgun of some sort. I might have to design something.
> 
> Two color 3D printers are only $3K and you can easily get drawings of some scary automatic weapons you can scale down online. Thankfully most melt when you try to pump 2,000 rounds per second through them.
> 
> ...


We cut down the trees, slice it into workable timber, build ever further and hugely bigger into natural environments because we must or maybe, really do not like each other. Those creatures that used to buzz and be aggressive find the wood taken come back to the smell of the sap or whatever and do what they always did. Since there are no trees for their predators to live in, the ones that used to eat them, their populations increase. 

We cannot bash them all with old raquets, rackets or whatever without accepting some responsibility for what we have done or what we can do. Of course we can always pray hard we can Jurrasic Park those we miss back to life.


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## oldhouseguy (Sep 7, 2011)

sdsester said:


> We cut down the trees, slice it into workable timber, build ever further and hugely bigger into natural environments because we must or maybe, really do not like each other. Those creatures that used to buzz and be aggressive find the wood taken come back to the smell of the sap or whatever and do what they always did. Since there are no trees for their predators to live in, the ones that used to eat them, their populations increase.
> 
> We cannot bash them all with old raquets, rackets or whatever without accepting some responsibility for what we have done or what we can do. Of course we can always pray hard we can Jurrasic Park those we miss back to life.


Interesting post. I will have to give it some thought.


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## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

When we lived on the farm we had every kind of bee, wasp, hornet and crawly bug in the area trying to share our home. I used a trigger spray bottle set to mist and kerosene to put a film on the eaves and foundation and the bugs quit coming around.


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## zakany (Sep 24, 2012)

We had carpenter bees once. Our dog would stand outside the hole and snap at them. Which was all well and good until my daughter, then three, got stung seeing what the dog was up to.

Saw one near my house the other day, so it might be time to find its hole and plug it with steel wool.


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