Carpenter Bee

[Guitartists]

I will try the paper plate thing... maybe a good enough whack will deter it

Maybe it'll leave all together

The best I can figure... these are Giant Hornets.

I'm not getting close enough to double check

Did find this though...... Management: Colonies die each fall, and old nests are not reused. So sweet, maybe they will find a new spot this year away from my fenceline!

If not I will have to exterminate. I swear they're bigger than they say! http://www.masterbeekeeper.org/stinging/gianthornet.htm Says they get 1 1/8" long... but I swear the one I saw was almost 2 inches! I thought it was a hummingbird!!! Stuck my head up into my apple tree to see where it had landed and was face to face with the hornet! Needless to say, they don't look friendly!

 

[Guitartists]

Although the male carpenter bee is extremely territorial and aggressive, he cannot sting.

Great! Well, then, I will deter him from nesting in my porch... but I won't worry then too much about the dive bombing... maybe he is just trying to scare me... and after all, it works! LOL

 

[peruvian_princess]

We have them everyyear and tehy dont bother me i just knock the fire out of them when i see them flying over the coupe LOL! IT is funny when they think they are so macho and dive bomb at you and they get the surprise of a lifetime LOL!

 

[ams3651]

They dont really sting but they can "bite" you. One left a hole in my sons head when he was a kid, it landed on him and he was alergic to stings so I panicked and hit it. Now 16 years later, he hits them with a shovel like they were baseballs. Right now they are more agressive because of breeding, they will settle down a little but I still hate them. Filling in the holes seems the best and cheepest way, as i mentioned my grandmother had them sprayed last year and they are back this year. They are in the holes over the winter so if they cant get out they will die.

 

[Miltonchix]

They destroyed, of all things, my rake handle. Bored holes up and down the whole thing.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
Yes! They do bite and they bite hard! I had one bite my daughter when she was a month old. I never thought I would get it off of her. She is three years old now and still has a scare where that bumble bee bit her. OW!

I don't blame your son for smacking them with the shovel!

 

[dogzrule5]

These things are as bad as termites, or so an exterminator told my daughter in VA.

I have them all over too and the exterminator said to wait till they go in their hole at night and then spray some insecticide in the hole. I did that in the barn last week but was immediately concerned about the chickens pecking dirt where the chemicals dripped so won't do that again in there, anyway. I was able to swat several of them and as soon as they fell to the ground, I squashed them.

Why couldn't you plug the hole with a rock or something else they can't chew through???

 

[farmgirlie1031]

Quote:
I had one dive bombing me down at the barn while I was watering horses. I turned the hose on it and when it hit the ground I stomped it. End of problem for now.

 

[lurky]

When we first got carpenter bee's, I researched them a bit because they were so aggressive. I believe one of the possibilities is that if you block the hole the made, they will burrow deeper in the wood and people have been known to push them into their house. So if they are on your house, you might be better off calling in the pro's. I also read that they burrow far in and not usually in a straight line, this protects the nest. They are one of the most difficult type to deal with. They hover in peoples face very well too ;(

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

I had one that was harassing my chicks yesterday. It had them cornered in thier run and they were scared. I attacked em with a shoe. I cant tell where their holes are and definately can't afford an exterminator. I guess it's shoes and paper plates for me.