Carpenter Bees bore a hole in chicken hutch perch to deposit eggs

[Alabama ee]

Quote:
My husband ruined my nice tennis racket doing that.LOL

 

[ChickenMomNewbie]

This is in response to Kudzu's YouTube link solution ~ I am not a gun person at all, so that would be out of the question for me. I could have killed the carpenter bee by hitting it with my shoe while it was on the perch, as it was an easy target, but I chose not to, just not the route I'm comfortable with. (If they attacked my chickens, that would be different, then I would protect my girls, and destroy the bees.) I appreciate your suggestion though, maybe it will be helpful for someone else who is comfortable with guns.

 

[alabamachick]

Quote:
2nd this. They are a nusiance. Loud, and will eat a hole in ANY wood.

 

[Imp]

Are carpenter bees anything like mason bees? Around here it is encouraged to put up mason bee houses to give them a place to lay their eggs. They are a non threatening, beneficial insects. Easy to make their houses.

www.islandnet.com/~yesmag/projects/bee.html

Imp

 

[paperdragonfarm]

I was wondering that too, Imp. I've heard the words used interchangeably and we were always encouraged to leave the carpenters alone. They don't really sting and the damage they cause is minimal compared to the benefits. Of course there aren't a lot of them up here. A dozen or so could make quick work of unprotected decking..

 

[Imp]

Quote:
You inspired me to google the difference.

Blue Orchard Mason Bees do not drill their own holes like Carpenter Bees. So they would be less destructive to wood.

Imp

 

[aggie9296]

I have some carpenter bees drilling holes in the wood of my pump house. I just stick rocks up in the holes and they seem to get tired of it and move on. I will be covering the wood with flashing eventually. On the project list with 74 other things.

 

[centrarchid]

Your carpenter bees are pretty picky about wood they bore into. It is my understanding that the wood chosen for nesting sites must first be softened by fungul activity. Bee damage therefore is only secondary in respect wood strength.

 

[aggie9296]

I don't know what other carpenter bees prefer, but mine are drilling in to pressure treated pine 2x4s with neither fungal damage or wood rot.

 

[SentryFE]

Good luck they are pretty much impossible to be rid of. I spray poison in the hole then silicon it up and wait for the next one.