carpenter bees

I have a house in a rural area that gets attacked every year by carpenter bees. The fascia boards (1x10's) on the eaves are cedar and the bees tunnel into these boards so much that many of the boards need to be replaced. If you have never seen this let me tell you, they make 1/2 diameter tunnels that go through the cedar into the framing, or turn horizontal and go for 6 to 12 inches. Some boards are so eaten up that they are structurally unsound.

Anybody go any ideas about what I could use to replace the boards with that would deter the bees? The house is all rough wood on the outside so I would rather not replace these boards with something that looks artificial. I have tried plugging the holes, insect spray and using a racquet ball racquet to discourage them but there are too many bees.

Actually, standing on the roof and smacking them in flight is pretty sporty and satisfying but too time consuming.

Thanks for your comments,

willimX

Reply to
willim
Loading thread data ...

Wed, Dec 28, 2005, 5:39pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@today.com (willim) doth lament: Anybody go any ideas about what I could use to replace the boards with that would deter the bees?

Yup.

Loads of info on the web, if you bother to look. It's been covered before.

Supposedly, they don't like painted wood. Also, if you hang a chunk of unpainted wood, say 2X4, with holes drilled i it, they're supposed to prefer that.

Probably your local coungy Ag Agent would have something too.

Last, you could also get a BB gun, and shoot 'em one at a time, or make a wooden paddle/bat and whack them. Of course, then you run the danger of getting the Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Carpenter Bees on your case.

JOAT You'll never get anywhere if you believe what you "hear". What do you "know"?

- Granny Weatherwax

Reply to
J T

MUCH more fun with budgies. Target: cage door.

Reply to
Robatoy

Well, I've had them in painted and unpainted roof purlins for my sheet metal roof. Rather that spray the recommended killer int each hole then plug the hole as mentioned here

formatting link
I've had pretty good luck soaking them with 70% alcohol in a hand held spray bottle. AVOID open flames while doing this! Spraying downwind is preferable but not alway possible. Once they get hit a time or two they fall to the floor and I can spray them again, keeping them in the fumes long enough to suffocate them. A bug zapper used in conjunction with this piles up dead bees on the floor. Joe

Reply to
Joe Gorman

"willim" wrote

I too, have a cedar clad house, and have been fighting an annual battle with those little boogers. My greatest success is to simply fill any and all holes (as they get started) with an acetone-based wood putty. My local hardware store has this in many different shades, so you can match your siding color without having to mess around covering up the patchwork.

The advantage of using acetone-based filler is that the fumes kill the bees almost immediately (well, if you catch them while they're in the hole chewing), and it discourages them from trying to reopen a filled hole (had that happen with a water-based filler).

Funny thing ... after entombing about 5 of them, the battle stopped. Either they gave up, or I got them all. Well, all but one. This one was taunting me ... flying just out of hose range (I was trying to knock it down with water) ... when it popped up just above the roof ridge, and got scooped up by a bird that had been watching the whole thing! THAT was fun.

artificial. [snip]

Have you taken a look at Hardie Board?

formatting link
This is a fiber-cement product that has a woodgrain imprinted on the face, and is pretty much everything-proof. You can use a carbide blade to cut it ... but probably not your best WWII blade on your Unisaw ... try a throwaway on a cheap circular saw. It takes paint nicely ... nails reasonably well, and from about 10 feet away, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

This means, however, that the bees will switch to the soffet or the siding ... and you'll be at this again and again. Better off entombing them IMHO.

Regards,

Rick

Reply to
Rick M

I have had a problem early with the present home, but Terminax visits now and my wood trim is painted.

Markem

Reply to
Markem

Here's the definitive stuff. I've tried it and it works great!

formatting link
of luck

Reply to
Roger King

Slightly off topic, but interesting.

I grew up in rural country.

Our house sat in the middle of a woods and pasture fields with black berry bushes were abundant.

My mother would pick black berries and make blackberry preserves, sealing the jars with paraffin.

One year there was an infestation of carpenter ants.

Those little devils got in the house, found the preserves, and drilled right thru the paraffin.

Needless to say, were were not a happy family that year.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.