How do you stop boring bees?

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Is there anything that I can put on my pine beadboard used on my porch ceiling that will repel these bees and leave it alone? They are also boring into the pine flooring on my loft floor. I am working on closing in the house to keep them out but that won't help on the porch. I don't want to use polyurathane. I am wondering if any type of wood oil would work. I've seen them chew through paint. Anyone dealt with this before?

-- Oak (StrugglingOak@aol.com), April 19, 2002

Answers

I've never tried this one before but . . .

How about using some of that 'sticky stuff' you paint on tree trunks to stop leaf cutter ants from getting up. I imagine painting a small circle near the mouth of the hole would give them a hint to stop?

Unsightly, I'll admit, but a possible solution. I hope you find your answer here.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), April 19, 2002.


Boring bees need to be taught to play cards, read a book, sing, and go for long walks.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.

wood filler, and paint the surface,, they wont bore into painted wood, and the prefer to keep using the same holes,,so once the holes are gone,, so will the bees

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 19, 2002.

Try plugging boring bees repellent into google search engine, there are numerous listings that might answer your question, too many different products to summarize.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 19, 2002.

Rose, I think you stole Stan's thunder.

-- VickiP. (countrymous@webtv.net), April 19, 2002.


There have also been some previous discussions on this and maybe there might be some more ideas for you in the archives. It is hard when we know we need all the bees we can get and yet you don't want damage to your property. Another idea is to call your County Extension Service, they get these questions all the time. Good luck, LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), April 19, 2002.

Check under Carpenter bees.

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), April 19, 2002.

does it REALLY take all discussions and searches just to go and paint the wood??? come on !!!

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 19, 2002.

Don't let 'em watch Oprah anymore. The quality of their conversation will improve dramatically.

-- gita (gita@directcon.net), April 19, 2002.

Pay Attention, STAN! She said she'd seen them CHEW THROUGH PAINT, so why would she even consider painting?

-- juana (juana@simple-living.com), April 19, 2002.


How do you stop boring bee's. Find something new to talk about? I some people are so boring, same chat over and over... -:)

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), April 19, 2002.

they WONT go thru paint, as long as there are no break in the paint,, ei.. FRESH PAINT

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), April 19, 2002.

If you want to "stop boring bees", stop letting them read this post!

-- joj (joj@home.org), April 19, 2002.

My answer wasn't like Stan's usual replies at ALL. :-) I didn't suggest shooting them, poisoning them, or otherwise engaging in mayhem.



-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), April 19, 2002.


I doubt just filling the hole will discourage them. My dh used treated lumber to replace our old back porch a few years ago. The old porch had a bee hole directly over the cellar door. A week or two after the new porch was done, I found three dead bees on the steps (we don't use that door much) but the hole was back in the new porch.

-- cindy wells (cindywellsofpgh@yahoo.com), April 19, 2002.


Sorry Stan, you lose this time, they definitely bore through paint, polyurethane, stain, log sealer, etc. They bored through freshly painted wooden lawn furniture! I've seen it, been there done that. The fly swatter is the only solution I know of. I have sprayed the areas they are attacking with bee and wasp spray and they do move on. Good luck

-- bee hater (beeswon@lotsholes.com), April 19, 2002.

I have seen "Bore" bees bore thru painted wood, pressure treated wood and redwood. I have seen the bugman treat with boric acid to get rid of the ones already there. I don't think there is a prevention except metal.

-- Emil in TN (eprisco@usit.net), April 19, 2002.

Well, I didn't think I would get such a discussion going. I don't want to add any chemicals to my house if neccessary, I don't want to kill the little creeps and I wouldn't want to paint that pretty knotty pine anyhow.(It's only been up for 6 months) A couple good ideas out there. I'll investigate some of them. Thanks Oak

-- Oak (StrugglingOak@aol.com), April 19, 2002.

Hey Oak!! I think the answer is in your name..they like nice soft pine..build with oak and it will be more dense than Stan (owww, I just could not resist!)..I have them every year, use the swatter and when I have the time I plug their holes with steel wool...

-- Bee White (bee@hereintown.net), April 19, 2002.

Recently there was a post that said to hang a mesh bag with moth balls up by the area of infestation. We have painted our barns with a coat of linseed and then another coat of paint and they still go through. So we're looking forward to trying the moth ball idea !

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), April 20, 2002.

Stan, sorry buddy but that's an old wives tale, the boring bees here attacked dads barn. Theres about 15 holes. We just painted it this year. Heck dad thinks they like the taste of fresh paint.

Oak My daughters getting pretty good at popping them with a Daisy air rifle. We get two benefits dead bees and she gets target practice.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), April 20, 2002.


Hey Oak I did a search and here's the results

http://www.e-bug.net/pests/carpenter_bees.shtml

they have kits to rid yourself of boring bees. :o)

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), April 20, 2002.


They are Carpenter Bees. Had a bug guy come out and tell me the first spring here when they were so bad. They come back each spring. The ones that fly and bug you and act like they are going to sting you are males, and they can not sting. Just knock them out of the air with something, and step on them. And then just put a piece of duck tape over the holes, and the girls up inside will die. They will ruin your house if you let them keep drilling. I also use Kennel Dip in a sprayer, and it gets the wasps and things trying to live in the buildings.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), April 21, 2002.

We had a nest of bees who were going in and out through a hole in an old window frame in our newly purchased decrepit old farmhouse. I tried a tray of boric acid and sugar water which caught (drowned) quite a few, but they were endless, and all coming and going out of the same hole. I rigged up an old vacuum cleaner (funneled down by a piece of garden hose and duct tape) right next to the hole (at night when they were sleeping!) and the next day we had a riot watching them get sucked into the hose! Sosme made it by, probably only to get sucked in on theirnext try for home. Use an old vacuum, and watch that it doesn't overheat. When you turn it off be sure to plug the end (i heard them get sucked back down every morning when I restarted it). So far they haven't shown up this year. It took about two weeks using it on and off during the day. I hate to think what size the nest was inside that wall! Good luck.

-- Linda (specor@twcny.r.com), May 07, 2002.

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