Don't panic!  Carpenter Bees seem very agressive and will dart back
and forth like they are going to attack but they don't.  They do not
sting.   As far as I know there is no way of repeling them but they
can be controlled when they are drilling their holes for nests.
 
In soft wood you will see approximately one half inch holes that look
as if they have been drilled.  These are made by the Carpenter Bee
as a nesting hole.  They cut a hole one to one and one half inches
deep and then make a right angle turn and cut another two to three
inches.  They capture insects, place them in the hole, lay an egg
on the body and seal the hole at that point.  They repeat the operation
until the hole is full.  The eggs hatche and the larva that hatches uses
the insect as food.
 
While the bees do not attack humans they can cause structural damage to
the wood.  Purdue Cooperative Extension Service recommends using powdered
Sevin, an insecticide, and blowing it into the hole with the type of duster
that is used in gardening.  The bee enters the hole and gets the insecticide
dust on them and dies.
 
If the bees are not causing damage in good structures it is probably
best to leave them alone.  They do help reduce the population of other
insects and are therefore helpful.
 
Hope this is some help to those who are having problems.
 
Charlie
 
                                                     - -
"One today is worth two tomorrows" Ben Franklin     (0 0)
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Charles R. Bradley
Extension Educator
Marshall County Extension Office
112 W. Jefferson Street  Room 304
Plymouth, IN 46563
Phone:  219-935-8545
Fax:    219-935-8612
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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