For those who have to deal with these little, giant pests, you probably have already been seeing them. If not you soon will. I just wanted to let anyone who has not heard of them, that they have a trap you can build out of scrap wood. From the videos they work wonderful. Just go to you tube and type in "carpenter bee trap" they will show you how to make them. Anywho, hopefully a bunch of folks can declare war on them and take out a few thousand and save countless ruined sheds, barns etc. I like the idea that someone else does, and shoot them with rat shot, but you still cannot find any .22 ammo of any kind around here still.
thanks for the warning, and hate to hear the news, last year was the first I think I've ever seen them around these parts, but they sure do like the trusses in my shed, seemed like I was at war for several weeks, maybe a month killing them, the trap idea sounds like a good plan, and will leave me more time for sawing,,
Yes, we live in a log home and they are a real problem. I learned long ago not to seal them in or they just cut another exit and it may be inside the house.
I have Orkin service monthly but will still build a couple of these and try them. We have similar problems in the Fall with the yellow jackets especially when cooking outside, cleaning fish, or cleaning deer during early bow season.
drrobinson, it must be because of global warming :D :D. Yes we have yellow jackets too. A friend one time took a sip of root beer that had been setting for a minute or so, and his lip got way bigger than fat Alberts lip ever thought about being. I thought we were going to have to take him to the hospital but he wound up ok.
Quote from: LaneC on March 25, 2015, 11:45:43 AM
drrobinson, it must be because of global warming :D :D. Yes we have yellow jackets too. A friend one time took a sip of root beer that had been setting for a minute or so, and his lip got way bigger than fat Alberts lip ever thought about being. I thought we were going to have to take him to the hospital but he wound up ok.
Hope he un-wound ok too. ;D
I had 2 of them last year. I sprayed some of the Raid wasp and hornet killer that shoots 20 feet into the holes until it was dripping out and never saw them again. :)
I buy a termite spray at the feed store that kills carpenter bees very fast. I have been seeing them already and I will bee spraying them this weekend
i wonder who was shooting them out of the air??
my personal preference is a badminton racket
We have them bad here in NE Ok. but the traps do seem to work well. A couple of things I learned: if yer not catchin any, move the trap to a new spot. Second, always leave some dead bees in the trap as they seem to catch more than an empty one.
Wasp and hornet spray does'nt even phase them here, but I have had good results with a broom.
They eat everything from treated pine to oak, but seem to leave my poplar alone.
I forgot who it was, but I thought they said they were using a .38 with rat shot. That would be great. Good to hear the traps worked. Are they home made or did you buy them from somewhere? Thanks for the tip about moving also. How long should you wait before moving it?
@scleigh (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=23082) - any particular wood they seem to prefer? I was fixing to build some out of some fresh cut poplar I have till I saw your comment.
@wvsawmiller , I would use pine.
We have a log house and we have had numerous carpenter bees in previous years. Last year, my wife used seven dust and then inserted small aluminum foil balls into the hole. No way they survived this combination. We have had a few so far this year but nothing like past years.
Woodpeckers have added to the mess as they will listen for the larvae and then make elongated holes looking for the larvae.
Quote from: LaneC on March 25, 2015, 10:42:36 PMAre they home made or did you buy them from somewhere?
They are available at most farm supply stores. You could take a look and build them.
WDH made a few traps.
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,73902.0.html
Quote from: LaneC on March 25, 2015, 10:42:36 PM
I forgot who it was, but I thought they said they were using a .38 with rat shot. That would be great. Good to hear the traps worked. Are they home made or did you buy them from somewhere? Thanks for the tip about moving also. How long should you wait before moving it?
After reading this I went down and reloaded a batch of 357 snake shot this morning. Also dug out some of the 22 stuff. If you see them flying around looking for a spot to start chewing and it is safe to shoot there, this stuff works great.
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Where did you get the caps for the 38...I need some 44. s I took out a bunch with a tennis racket last year...they haven't showed up here yet, but I know they will in a few days...Banjo
The traps are really simple to build at no cost but your time. I made mine from pine as they seem to like pine the best.
I have killed 20 with my badminton racket the last three days.
Quote from: Banjo picker on March 26, 2015, 08:13:50 PM
Where did you get the caps for the 38...I need some 44. s I took out a bunch with a tennis racket last year...they haven't showed up here yet, but I know they will in a few days...Banjo
I get them from midway http://www.midwayusa.com/product/313962/speer-empty-shot-capsules-38-special-box-of-50 . They are made by speer and I think they come in 44 also but I don't know where to buy them.
Glad to hear yall are taking a bunch of them out of the gene pool. Yep, the woodpeckers do a bunch of damage getting the larvae out and really show off the tunneling ability of the little critters. I guess they should name it "bee shot" instead of rat or snake shot :D
I was wondering when they would show back up. Looks like I will have to get the traps back up on the outside walls. They chew into the BC plywood my soffits are made of but stop when they hit the first glue layer. They also like to start on my Cypress lap siding but stop after getting through the fibers that have the stain in them.
Last year was not that bad a year for them in these parts but the year before we had a big crop of them.
Living in the woods I think we get a lot of them. My friends in town say they never see them.
I have several traps I put up 3 years ago. They haven't worked for me. Tried moving them around didn't help.
I shoot them it's a final solution. Got 17 in 1 day once.
Dang, 17. That is some good shootin. What do you shoot them with?
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That is a nice pistol. I am sure it does the trick. ;)
Why is that bee still in one piece? Usually you are lucky to find more then a small body part when they are shot. :D
Bill only shoots them in the heart. ;D
Quote from: Magicman on April 04, 2015, 10:09:54 PM
Bill only shoots them in the heart. ;D
:D :D :D :D :D :D
So far we have caught 4 of them in the bee traps. I will keep yall up to date on the numbers. ;D
I shot two with 22 rat shot and put one in each of the two traps I built out of cedar....then I loaded up a few .44 mags with rat shot and I have not seen a bee in two days....except the two dead ones in the traps....it has cooled off a bit though...I would like to see one to try out my new shell...Banjo
It has cooled off here too and raining as well. That .44 is like shooting a .410 :D. Surely you will be able to hit one in the heart with that ;D. Let us know how many you get. I sleep better at night knowing they are constantly being taken out, 1 by 1 :D I bought some .44 rat shot years ago and it was high then. Is it still high now? (The price was about $12.00 about 10 years ago for 10 rounds I think)
About everyone up there thinks I'm Billy the Kid shooting bees out of the air with a pistol. Few realize I'm using rat shot. Many do not even know it exists.
I Had a bunch of it for years but have pretty much used all the .22 up on bees. I do have some 38/357 and .40 RS but may as well use a .410 which is how I got started shooting the but found that my gutters and fascia got dented.
I found that .44 rat shot and it was $7.99 about 10 years ago. That was for 10 CCI cartridges. I hate that it dents siding :D. So far 6 bees out of 4 traps.
It warmed up today and the bees showed up with a vengeance. I caught 4 bees in one trap and none in the other...they are placed about 5 or 6 feet apart...gona move the one that's not doing anything if it don't get any action in a day or two...but the reloads out of the 44 are deadly...8 kills out out of 8 shot...I made me a wad cutter out of a 300 Winchester mag shell. Filed some teeth in to it....
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Put a wad over the power and seat it with a 16 penny nail..add some # 12 shot add another wadding.
Put a drop of elmers glue on top and seal the edges with a toothpick....If you were shooting one at a time you wouldn't even need the glue..Banjo
That is Mississippi engineering at it's finest. ;) Great idea. Dad said the bottom of 1 bottle was full today so they must have moved a lot here today as well. I will try to get a number on the little devils. I killed 2 in a treated fence post today. They drilled about 6" from the ground and ate the crud out of the fence post. There was saw dust all over the ground coming from the hole so I stuck a green stick about 16" into the post and whacked 2 of their heads off as they tried to make their escape. That is the lowest I have ever noticed them from the ground. Nothing is safe from them at any height! I will sleep better tonight knowing that a few more have bit the dust ;) I hope the fence post will last a while longer. The fence post is treated good too. Nothing is safe.
I have the traps made from pine and or cedar but they work great. Put a little liquid soap and water in the bottom. It makes it easier to clean out
I've got swarms of them over the past week. I leave them alone until they finish polinating my blueberries, then it's open season. Did somebody post some pics of the traps ? I need to make a bunch..
I checked and on you tube type in "carpenter bee trap" They have several on there. One video called "Jason explains the trap" or something like that will show a good model of one and you can get a good idea from there. If needed PM me and I can explain them a little more if it will help.
Killed one Sunday. I am going to try some traps this year.
I wish you luck. I hope you get a whole bunch. (before they eat your place down)
All the ones I have shot, has the yellow dot on the head. I thought only the males had that dot...if that's so where are the girls? I am gona check the ones in the traps and see if they have the dot or not...Banjo
I counted them today. Out if 4 traps, so far 14 bees dead. I will sleep good tonight :D. They have been out a week. That is not a lot but that is 14 less than before.
Up to 53 dead with my racket. lol
Got one with my hat yesterday. 8) 8) 8) 8)
Quote from: Buckshot00 on April 13, 2015, 07:19:59 AM
Up to 53 dead with my racket. lol
What kind of racket do you use? I bought one of the electronic ones and it works on every other type of insect but carpenter bees. It just seems to smoke a little bit of their hair off and make them mad. :)
A badminton racket slices and dices them.
Dang, 53! you are going to get tennis elbow(or bee elbow :)) I have not checked the traps again, too much rain down here. Yall keep up the good work. I sleep good when I know they are being taken out ;D.
17 and counting. Not too many but it has rained hard every day for 8 or 9 days. One had just gotten in one of the bottles and after a good shaking, the ants enjoyed him. I also noticed that there were maggots in 1 of the traps and a bow fly. They were feeding on the carcasses of the dead bees. The ants ate the maggots too. ;D