Carpenter Bee's

Carpenter bee’s, are a look
alike for a bumble bee.
Big difference is they will
drill up into any exposed
wood. The males do not
sting, the females will but
usually they have to be really
provoked. The female bee’s
will bore in the wood, nest or
breed while the males just
swarm around as look outs.

About 12 years ago or so I had
a really nice wooden shed put
up in the backyard. It was
made of course with treated
wood, but after a while that
treatment will wear off and if
the shed is not painted (like
on the bottom) it will draw
these bumble bee look alike
bees. I know this because about
7 years ago they appeared.

I know my neighbors have
enjoyed the scene over the years
of me fighting these things off
to get in my shed. I have tried
bug spray, but the males will
not lite long enough for you
to hit them. I have tried hair
spray, I was once told that it
would cause the wings to get
stiff and they will fall out of
the air…once again, hitting
them was a problem. But a
few years back I was told that
a tennis racket worked great!

I see the looks of confusion on
your face with that remark.
Well, it works, it don’t stop
them for being there, but hit
one of them with a racket and
you can sling them a good
distance, or cut them into!
I got one stuck in the mesh
part of that racket once…
he was a goner.

What I am sure appears funny
to my neighbors is, they can’t
see the bees, they only see me
out there facing the shed, with
a racket in my hand…then I
swing! I have not been locked
up yet for this behavior but I
know it must appear to be a
silly site.

In telling this story at work,
Cindy proceeded to laugh.
First its squirrels then it is the
bees. Actually the bees came
first. Cindy asked how you get
rid of them so I told her what
I had read on the internet. All
of which sounds good, only you
have to get them in after dark
and it would require me getting
on the ground to find the holes
under the shed, not easy since
it sets close to the ground.

The next question was do they
have a mortal enemy in which
I replied, “Probably squirrels”!
Be my luck, I got rid of several
of those back in December
(March 10, of my blog).

So I ask, what is it with me and
the crawling, climbing, flying,
drilling type of nature?
Cindy seems to think I draw
them because they like me….
I see it differently, they dislike
me that is why they torture me!

Thanks for stopping by,
Pam

Comments

Pam D said…
You just haven't learned to be "one with nature", my child. I'll send the bug hunter to you for a few weeks; that will cure the problem! Actually, they make a little bug zapper that's shaped like a small tennis racquet... but it has an electic "zap" to it. So when you hit the bee, it makes that noise that a big bug zapper does, and the bee drops to the ground, fried. I s'pose that in some countries, that would be considered "precooking the meal". ugh. Anyway.. I totally understand the carpenter bee thing and would not find you crazy. The bug hunter, on the other hand, has taken to catching the darn things in a net and putting them in a bug box. THAT is crazy!
HenHudson said…
Lets see Pam an a electic tennis racquet bug zapper. Now that I have to see !!!! Pam, can I bring a 6 pack and watch ?????

Popular posts from this blog

The Rest of Today

Done Deal, Fall Color, Paint Class, New Man, Treat, and Soup, Cats and Broom