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Bees

ptwat Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 4 Georgia

2002-04-21          37692

Okay, this is not about using a tractor but it affects my tractor. Here in Greorgia this time of year carpenter bees (the bumble bee size) are actively boring new homes to lay eggs.
In this case one bored a hole in the steering wheel rubber of my TC33D. It bored until it hit the steel hoop in the middle and stopped but left a hole.
My question is- has anyone had this problem before and does anyone have a good way to ward off carpenter bees from homes, barns and tractors (besides my usual method of swatting the down with a tennis racket and stepping on them)?
Tom

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Bees

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2002-04-22          37694

Carpenter bees are one stinging bug we don’t have—I hear that stings are rare though. We’ve got nearly every other N.A. stinging and biting bug though. A quick web search on ‘carpenter bees’ yields a bunch of sites. Here’s one with a bunch of articles, and most have a university connection. Many of the sites though simply are commercial exterminators.

http://www.projectlinks.org/bees/

Thanks for posting the question. I know my response didn’t provide much useful information, but the question did prompt me to search for a solution for our own latest plague. LADYBUGS! Add them to the traditional bug plagues around here and now the bug plagues go year around. These ladybugs bite too. I did find some useful information about ladybugs and maybe carpenter bees as well.
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Bees

JWHITE Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 1 Eastern WV

2002-04-23          37752

Sorry to hear about the steering wheel hole. As near as I can tell, hothing much stops them. Wife got stung by one that had bored into the edge of a picnic table. They bore holes in just about anything other than steel or hard plastic. I am surprised I haven't heard of flat tires from them.

TOMG, I agree about the Ladybugs. Our house gets covered with hundreds to thousands depending on weather and time of year. They "sneak" in the house and end up in the room with the computer (south facing warm upstairs room) and ping against the lights and monitor. I get so many some times, I have to use the shop vac to vac all the live ones up in late fall from the window.

Jay ....

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Bees

Peters Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL   Pics

2002-04-23          37753

I tried the ultra sonic pest chasers. Seems to work on the mud dobbers but it is a little to early to tell about the bees.
Has anyone seen the other varitity? We have the bubble here, but ran into the another variation in Kentucky. It looked more like a yellow jacket. I found a few hundred of them in a green piece of hickory they had made into swiss cheese. I have not seen them since but figured that they could do some damage. ....

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Bees

John Mc Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 98 Vermont

2002-04-25          37831

Tom G -

Did you find any particualrly usefull links on the lady bugs? My parents are having real problems with them in their home.

John Mc
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Bees

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2002-04-26          37839

I did a web search on 'lady bug control' and found a fair number of sites, but I didn't save any bookmarks. After a plague last fall and having them come out inside the house all winter, the problem may seem almost biblical, but the problem will soon be over--at least till next fall.

There are various traps for indoor use marketed. However, the sense seems to be that once the bugs are inside a vacuum cleaner is about the best control. There was a comment that at this time of year, the bugs are trying to get outside, and opening windows might help. Prevention rather than cure does seem to be the main thing--sealing cracks, caulking windows etc. There is a spray mentioned on a web site and by public officials here last fall. We might try some during the next fall plague. Spray the whole outside of our house and then move to our camp to get away from the spray.

My sympathies to your folks. It may be a somewhat localized problem--at least people in town 20 miles from here aren't too aggravated. But if you've got them, the bugs have been an extraordinary problem for a few years and especially last fall. It was pretty spectacular to see our while house turn orange. After a week or so of it, I went on a killing rampage and vacuumed six or seven gallons of at a time off the outside of our house and hardly touched the numbers.
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Bees

DennisCTB Join Date: Nov 1998 Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ   Pics

2002-04-26          37851

I live in Western NJ and have lived in two locations in town over the last 20 years. I have been in the new house for the last five years I am plagued by the Lady Bugs every fall, while I never had the problem in the house in the valley. They only come to the side getting afternoon sun facing the valley.

There are so many in the fall that they climb around the screens and get in the house as soon as a window gets opened. They seem to be able to get through even the smallest of spaces.

My main weapon is the vacuum cleaner, unfortunately my WIFE and I disagree on the the STATUS of Lady Bugs, she will not participate in their ELIMINATION so I battle it alone. She has a "be nice to Lady Bugs posture", and I am a Murderer, oh well somebody has to do the dirty work! ....

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Bees

BobTheFarmer Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 14 Ohio

2002-04-26          37856

Just wanted to say these bugs we are talking about are not Lady Bugs.. they are very similar and were brought into the U.S. to control aphids... well.. a bit out of hand now... they are a chinese bug that look almost the same as a lady bug... One thing about putting a bunch in the vaccumn they can really stink after awhile! ....

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Bees

Peters Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL   Pics

2002-04-26          37858

Ok Ok, enough with the lady bugs. We have the lady bug problem here how be it not as bad as described by some. They don't bite and they control aphids.
Tom asked about the carpenter bees, which do sting and perferate the wood. The drill a hole about three eights of an inch to one half inch into and along wood, plastic and steering wheels. Does anyone have a good solution to the carpenter bees?
Secondly I would like to know how to control the dirt dobbers, wasps that build mud nests in the barns. For example, I have an electric motor on the air compressor and the dobbers built a nest on the mechanism for the starter. The motor started acting funny and I stopped using the compressor and bought a new one. Eventually I took the motor in to get worked on as it seemed to start but not run. I about kick myself when I realized that the problem was just a mud best. ....

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Bees

Bird Senter Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962

2002-04-26          37864

Peters, the mud daubers are a big problem in my area, too. I spray inside my shop with diazinon two or three times a year and that provides only partial control. Anything that isn't used, or a motor that isn't run regularly, and has any opening they can get into will probably have their nests. ....

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Bees

Peters Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL   Pics

2002-04-26          37869

I bought the ultrasonic pest systems and have placed them in the barn, last month. (Six for $20 Wallyworld) Despite this I have a carpenter bee drilling the ledger board on the large front doors. He may be at the edge of the range, I don't see any activity inside the barn.
It seems to be keeping the dobbers at bay so far. Does anyone else have any extended experience with these ultrasonics? Any other suggestions? ....

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Bees

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2002-04-27          37887

There's a whole range of bugs that are subject to parasites such as some species of wasps (I don’t believe these wasps sting humans, but Asian ladybugs do and I have first hand experience). The wasps don’t exactly eliminate the problem, but they do cut down the size of one. Planting yarrow attracts these wasps.

I'm not sure if my northern bug books talk about mud daubers. If anybody is interested, I could take a stab at finding out whether daubers or carpenter bees are subject to these wasps. I already know ladybugs aren't, which is too bad because we've got bunches of yarrow in the bush around here.
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Bees

cutter Join Date: Feb 2000 Posts: 1307 The South Shore of Lake Ontario, New York   Pics

2002-04-27          37892

I use KNOX OUT 2FM to spray and build bait stations. Last year I tried plain Diazinon and it did not get rid of the carpenter bees and had limited effect on the others. It did a good job on the cluster flies in the attic though! The bait stations are applied one to an acre and you spray the other areas for the wasps. This is the first year for the stations so we will see what happens. I built my first one the last warm day we had a week ago and hung it near a nest that is apparently in my house crawl space. I did not dare pull the trap door to look, too many of those aggressive bastards coming in and out of the opening in the overhang. A couple dropped into the closet despite the trap door being closed. I am anxious to see if it works. The stuff cost me $100 for 64oz with my farm discount. I am going to spray around the house foundation and carry out a 4'strip around the base, it is supposed to kill pests that contact that area after that application. You then spray it on everything you want to protect such as overhangs, siding and whatever. It is safe for pets and children as long as you follow directions, like everything else. ....

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