Farming and Agriculture - Boring Bees/Wasps

In the facia on my boat dock I have holes drilled in a row....they look like machine gun fire. Each grouping is like 6-8 inches in length. I believe these are some sort of wood bee or wasp.

I plugged the holes and sprayed some indoor insect fogger and think I got rid of them, but now it looks like they made new holes elsewhere.

Anyone have a cure for these guys? Do they do this all year? Are they still living inside?

Ugly and not necessarily structural damaging but I hate to keep wood filling the holes and re-painting the trim - thanks

I hate few things in this world but those boring bees [aka carpenter bees] are on of them. They bore into the wood and lay eggs, the new born are programed to return to that spot to lay their eggs :eek:

I've read there is a specfic powder type insecticide to blow into the holes. I usually use bee spray or even carb cleaner if it's handy :D They keep coming back but keeping after them has prevented my house and shop from looking like swiss cheese.

I just had a similar experience with bumble bees boring into the pine rafters of my new patio cover. I sprayed the holes with flying insect killer when the bees were in the hole. As they came out, I swatted them with a fly swatter. Took a while, but the problem has improved. Just my experience with the pesky critters.

My AG guy told me to blow Sevins dust up into those holes.
The Females have Hairy legs and carry the dust up to the larve and it kills the larve as they start out when they mature.
It seems to work. I've cleared my front porch and most of my house eaves that I cold reach.

Google those things and see how much damage they do to a 2X4. Its amazing.

I've always wanted to Hand load some .38's with Rice or Baking soda, and shoot the buggers as they fly around the porch.:thinker: :p
Sitting in my Rocking chair, pistol in my lap, coffee at the ready, spending a nice evening at home.

That sounds like a lot more fun than walking around with a Duster and a long piece of pipe, looking up and straining my arms. I cant even get to some places in my barn where they are boreing.

Another thing to do is wear a broad brimmed hat and swat them down. They wont die quickly, so I pick them up by thier wings and put them in with the Chickens. That's a hoot to watch the Chickens try to keep the bug.:p

The things are eating my cedar sided house to pieces. They love the facia boards under the gutters. I bought some concentrated bug spray online that does a decent job of killing them. They are supposed to be deterred by painted surfaces and treated wood, but I've seen holes drilled in treated pine just the same. They defintely favor softer woods like cedar.

Everything I've read suggested that there is nothing you can do to prevent them except kill the existing bees with some spray and yes they recommend putting a powder in the existing holes. They will leave in the fall like all insects. If you don't plug the holes, they will return in the spring. One remedy I read was to plug the holes with steel wool and caulk over it. That should deter them from using the same hole again. I've also read you can plug the holes with dowels and wood glue.

Plugging the holes dont work. When the New Bee comes out and hits the plug, you can hear him boring around the plug or sometimes right through the plug.
Careful if you pick one up. I dont think they can sting, but that Boreing part can sure put a bunch of little holes in your hand, and in a jiffy too.

If insecticidal dust is puffed into the carpenter bee holes, this will kill the bees. Wait a couple days before plugging the holes. It is important to fill the holes because they will attract next season's bees and other insects. Insects in wood siding will attract woodpeckers in search of a tasty snack and can do extensive damage to siding.

http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/l1826.html

http://www.loghomecare.com/carpenter_bees.html

We have a log home and used to have a HUGE carpenter bee problem...after some research our method of attack was to:

-Spray insecticide in all the holes we could find
-kill all the bees flying around
-make sure the wood isnt unfinished (apparently they are more attracted to unfinished wood over stained or painted wood)

after 2 years of doing that I have only seen 2 or 3 bees this year. :mask: