Peter Detchon has a point. Maybe the mess we see is nothing more than a bee hater's eggs of mass destruction. Egg splatter is a valid hypothesis. (That's why the bees need to be examined.) However, the mess also looks a lot like the NORMAL poop I experience with "my" large carpenter bee (Xylocopa) commune. These chubby buzzers void just near their gallery entrances or on the neighbour's Jetta. They can make a big mess. "My" Bumbles have yet to make such a mess but I don't house them in bird- house structures. "Mine" are all using abandoned chipmunk (Tamias striatus) dens. When I have observed voiding, it's away from the nest entrance. (Although, I have found feces in abandoned nesting material.) There is a rumor that Bumbles will use their feces as a chemical weapon against bee haters. "My" Bumbles are Canadian, thus too polite to fling poop. Cheers. RG :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::