BajaNomad - Control big black bumblebees

Control big black bumblebees

vandenberg - 5-14-2008 at 08:06 AM

Does anyone have a method to control those beasts.
I have clear redwood bannisters around my deck since 1990. The first 14 or so years no insect bothered them, but than, those big black bumblebees, who show every spring, discovered them, and are making hash of them. No insecticide I've found seems to bother them, so, nothing short of killing them with brute force, a feat in itself, seems to help. They manage to do a lot of damage in a very short while. Lot worse then termites.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Edited on 5-14-2008 by vandenberg]

Osprey - 5-14-2008 at 08:22 AM

Van, those are carpenter bees -- they don't eat wood (nectar feeders mostly) but they dig holes in wood to make nests for their eggs. I spray insecticide into the holes (saturate). All the smart guys down here who have carriso bamboo shades fill the ends with mud or glue or putty to keep all the bugs out. Maybe you can find something to fill the holes with that defeats them, no way to keep em off your patio that I know without hurting them. They do have stingers so bee careful.

Taco de Baja - 5-14-2008 at 08:25 AM

You likely have carpenter bees.

Products that kill ants and bees/wasps should work with carpenter bees too, but apparently the larva can live for months deep in the wood, protected from most insect sprays.

Here's some info:
http://www.carpenterbees.com/

http://www.pestproducts.com/carpenterbees.htm

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC2451.htm

Marie-Rose - 5-14-2008 at 08:26 AM

Our contractor told us to paint the wood with diesel once a year. So far, so good.
They do not seem to have any interest.

Pompano - 5-14-2008 at 08:36 AM

Tennis racket. Wham...Love 15.

CaboRon - 5-14-2008 at 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Marie-Rose
Our contractor told us to paint the wood with diesel once a year. So far, so good.
They do not seem to have any interest.

That seems to be the standard answer for a lot of things down here.

Aren't you creating a fire hazzard ?

And doesn't it stink ?

Gotta be a better way than diesal fuel.

CaboRon

BMG - 5-14-2008 at 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg
Does anyone have a method to control those beasts.
I have clear redwood bannisters around my deck since 1990. The first 14 or so years no insect bothered them, but than, those big black bumblebees, who show every spring, discovered them, and are making hash of them. No insecticide I've found seems to bother them, so, nothing short of killing them with brute force, a feat in itself, seems to help. They manage to do a lot of damage in a very short while. Lot worse then termites.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Edited on 5-14-2008 by vandenberg]

We don't have the black bee problem, but they do come around occasionally. A few weeks ago, one flew into the house. I grabbed my trusty electronic fly swatter (you may recall the story of Kate's gigantic spider that she released at our house a while back), put in fresh batteries to make sure it had a good ZAP, and hunted down the black beast. The first contact with the swatter resulted in the bee spiraling to floor and buzzing around in circles. Not sure if he would have recovered from the shock therapy or not as I put the swatter over him and kept the power on till he was well done.

I then popped a Pacifico and sat for a while basking in my glory. I usually take photos of everything but LinguineLinguine came in and 'requested' that I take the smoking corpse out of the living room. With a broom in one hand, a cerveza in the other and my swatter under my arm, I didn't record the event on my camera. Bottom line is that everyone needs an electronic swatter regardless of the game you are hunting down.

This may or may not help with your problem but at least you will amuse yourself while finding the solution to it.

vgabndo - 5-14-2008 at 09:49 AM

We have a very entertaining cedar picnic table. The cute little guys get disturbed by all the banging around when we are sitting there and start a lot of buzzing in their tunnels.

Like most living things, they take the path of least resistance. redwood and cedar both being very soft woods are most welcoming it seems. In my experience they are not at all aggressive. They are really cute with their little Groucho Marx eyebrows.

[Edited on 5-14-2008 by vgabndo]

cedar bee eyes ii.jpg - 23kB

vandenberg - 5-14-2008 at 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano
Tennis racket. Wham...Love 15.

I'm into the 3rd set and they are winning. :biggrin:

Marie-Rose - 5-14-2008 at 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by CaboRon

Quote:

Originally posted by Marie-Rose
Our contractor told us to paint the wood with diesel once a year. So far, so good.
They do not seem to have any interest.

That seems to be the standard answer for a lot of things down here.

Aren't you creating a fire hazzard ?

And doesn't it stink ?

Gotta be a better way than diesal fuel.

CaboRon

No smell a couple of hours after application. Mexicans have been doing it for ages...
Area of application has very little chance of being a fire hazard.

[Edited on 2008-5-14 by Marie-Rose]

Don Alley - 5-14-2008 at 11:08 AM

My dog eats them live.

Picante?

Phil S - 5-14-2008 at 05:25 PM

Ed. Wendy says put several saucers of beer and set them out for the critters to get drunk on. Then "step on them"!!!!!!!!!

Von - 5-14-2008 at 09:24 PM

:lol:

so funny Phil!!!hahahahahahaha!

dao45 - 5-14-2008 at 09:27 PM

WD 40 sprayed in the holes kills them

Bob and Susan - 5-15-2008 at 05:32 AM

"No smell a couple of hours after application."

oh noooooo...it STINKS for days and days

here they mix some tar and diesel fuel and it looks like a stain

it's horrible!!!

diesel doesn't burn easily :light:

longlegsinlapaz - 5-15-2008 at 07:12 AM

I keep a spray bottle filled with water & liquid dish soap at the pool, it kills them immediately. My Mexican friend has thrown a bucket of powdered laundry soap & water on a swarm in a tree & NOBODY flew out, the entire swarm dropped to the ground instantly. There was NO angry buzzing! It's instantaneous, smells good & it works on wasps, too! :bounce:

bajaguy - 5-15-2008 at 07:18 AM

Use Fabuloso.....it will kill anything!!!

toneart - 5-15-2008 at 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
I keep a spray bottle filled with water & liquid dish soap at the pool, it kills them immediately. My Mexican friend has thrown a bucket of powdered laundry soap & water on a swarm in a tree & NOBODY flew out, the entire swarm dropped to the ground instantly. There was NO angry buzzing! It's instantaneous, smells good & it works on wasps, too! :bounce:

That sounds like a great solution (no pun intended).

I sealed the holes they drilled into my palm-log fence beams with cement. They just dug their way out, or in...not sure which.

During the winter I brought one in with the mesquite firewood. I kept hearing the buzzing but thought it was the wood sizzling. After about 5 minutes a Carpenter Bee came flying out, hot and pi**ed. He dive bombed me several times and then the ol' fly swatter took care of him when he landed.