# Help? Bees could cost me a finger...



## woodworker (Nov 16, 2020)

I have a problem that I could use some guidance on. I do woodworking out of my garage (with the bay door open) and I don't know if its the smell of fresh wood being cut or .....whatever, but I get bees entering my shop on a daily basis. They are not aggressive, but they are very curious and fly around whatever I am doing. For me, it is a very dangerous situation because they startle and distract me while I am cutting on a table saw or other 'finger-cutting-off machinery. It is usually just one bee at a time, but that is enough to take my attention away from the blades of my tools....dangerous. Is there a way to keep them out of the garage/shop as I work? I tried Wasp and Hornet spray by spraying around the opening of the door. The only thing that did was make it difficult to breathe FOR ME. Little bees, just came and went no problem. little stinkers


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## elmer_fud (Apr 21, 2018)

close the doors?

hang a screen across the doors?


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## mtnmyke (Apr 27, 2017)

Wasp spray is an insecticide poison used to spray directly onto nests to kill them. All you did was spray poison all over the garage - it's not a deterrent.

If you have honey bees flying into your garage the only culprit would be some sort of scent. As I'm not sure if you're a beekeeper or not (I'm guessing not from the fear of a bee flying around you), but if so - if you have any beeswax, honey, or stored equipment in your garage that would certainly attract them inside.

If they are not honey bees, you may have native solitary mason/carpenter bees looking for a place to live. The fresh cut wood may be attracting them.

You could order a bee deterrent, often used to get bees off of honey supers. There are many brands such as Honey Bandit, Bee-Quick, Honey Robber, etc.

The only other solution may be draping a screen over your garage or simply realizing that no bee would ever sting you from minding your own business, working in your garage. Freaking out or swatting at them will only cost you a finger, or agitate whatever your swatting at. Let them be.





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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

If you insist on working with open doors into your shop - might as well just treat the bees the same as if flies or mosquitoes.
No difference.
In fact, a bee in your shop is much less harmful (because it does not see you as food or threat).
Are you afraid of loosing a finger because of some mosquito?
What do you do to avoid this?
Just do the same.


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## JSneed (Jan 19, 2020)

I’m betting it is carpenter bees and the fresh cut wood is attracting them.


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## Robert Holcombe (Oct 10, 2019)

woodworker said:


> I have a problem that I could use some guidance on. I do woodworking out of my garage (with the bay door open) and I don't know if its the smell of fresh wood being cut or .....whatever, but I get bees entering my shop on a daily basis. They are not aggressive, but they are very curious and fly around whatever I am doing. For me, it is a very dangerous situation because they startle and distract me while I am cutting on a table saw or other 'finger-cutting-off machinery. It is usually just one bee at a time, but that is enough to take my attention away from the blades of my tools....dangerous. Is there a way to keep them out of the garage/shop as I work? I tried Wasp and Hornet spray by spraying around the opening of the door. The only thing that did was make it difficult to breathe FOR ME. Little bees, just came and went no problem. little stinkers


Closed the door and use a respirator, open door when finished cutting. That's what I do plus now I wear a leather glove - jammed a palm really bad last year from kickback. You could put a little honey or sugar syrup outside, away form the door to keep them busy maybe.


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## will delito (Oct 9, 2016)

woodworker said:


> I have a problem that I could use some guidance on. I do woodworking out of my garage (with the bay door open) and I don't know if its the smell of fresh wood being cut or .....whatever, but I get bees entering my shop on a daily basis. They are not aggressive, but they are very curious and fly around whatever I am doing. For me, it is a very dangerous situation because they startle and distract me while I am cutting on a table saw or other 'finger-cutting-off machinery. It is usually just one bee at a time, but that is enough to take my attention away from the blades of my tools....dangerous. Is there a way to keep them out of the garage/shop as I work? I tried Wasp and Hornet spray by spraying around the opening of the door. The only thing that did was make it difficult to breathe FOR ME. Little bees, just came and went no problem. little stinkers


I'VE SEEN SCREENS FOR SALE ON TV JUST FOR GARAGES.





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Two Door Garage Bug Barrier - Hammacher Schlemmer






www.hammacher.com


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## mtnmyke (Apr 27, 2017)

Robert Holcombe said:


> Closed the door and use a respirator, open door when finished cutting. That's what I do plus now I wear a leather glove - jammed a palm really bad last year from kickback. You could put a little honey or sugar syrup outside, away form the door to keep them busy maybe.


Just in case you aren't aware, you should NEVER wear a glove around rotating tools such as a blade. In the event you made contact you're more likely to mangle your entire hand as the material works to further pull you into the blade. It also increases the chance of something going wrong as you take away a lot of the feel. Using proper technique and supplied safely equipment is the proper way to avoid issues.

If you want to see the huge scars on my three fingers from a glove worn around a miter saw...I learned the hard way in my early 20s.


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## will delito (Oct 9, 2016)

Robert Holcombe said:


> Closed the door and use a respirator, open door when finished cutting. That's what I do plus now I wear a leather glove - jammed a palm really bad last year from kickback. You could put a little honey or sugar syrup outside, away form the door to keep them busy maybe.


no attractant as this will bring in more bees.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

I'd go with a screen door I think.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Just learn to not be jumpy about the trivial distractions when you are working the power tools.
Like your phone ringing, or a car honking, or some harmless bug buzzing.
If these make you jumpy while handling the blade, then I don't know...

I work the table saw outside all summer long - few feet away from my hives. 
Just how it is...


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

I'm a woodworker and a beekeeper, so I have shop bees. There is a mental checklist you as a woodworker are probably doing before you power on a piece of equipment. Add "I will not freak out if an insect buzzes my head." to the mental check list. Since you are wearing safety glasses (you are wearing safety glasses, right?) and hearing protection (that too?) you shouldn't be worried about buzzing insects, it's just mental at that point.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

JConnolly said:


> Since you are wearing safety glasses (you are wearing safety glasses, right?) and hearing protection (that too?) you shouldn't be worried about buzzing insects, it's just mental at that point.


The protected eyes are obvious (well, need the glasses anyway lately).
But in fact, I like the hearing protection A LOT as this helps me to stay focused anyway (talking to myself and listening to my chronic tinnitus noise are part of construction projects).

At this rate I am not even aware of any bugs around (nor should I be reacting to them).


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

GregV said:


> listening to my chronic tinnitus noise


I hear you. D'oh! I had an ear infection last year that ran on about five months. It took several rounds of different anti-biotics to clear it up. Tinnitus is my music now. When it comes to working with machinery the operator needs to have the temperament to stay steady, and it is not just bees. Wasps, birds, snakes, mice, flys, spiders, etc. can all freak some people out. For our woodworking machinery operator I suggest that beekeeping is an excellent hobby to take up to practice staying steady when nature's curious critters come by to meet you.


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## mtnmyke (Apr 27, 2017)




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## William Bagwell (Sep 4, 2019)

mtnmyke, Love it! Man in the upper left is in the documentary Queen of the Sun. Funniest moment in an otherwise very educational movie is when he rubs his mustache in his bees.


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## thill (Nov 30, 2020)

Agree with above posts. Stop freaking out when a bee buzzes you. Just say, "Go away, bee" and keep on working, ignoring them. You could lose more than a finger. I'm a professional carpenter, and was taught back in High School woodworking shop to be careful, respect the equipment and not allow myself to get distracted.

They sell big garage door screens at Harbor Freight for maybe $9. I got some, but never use them. I just swat mosquitos and flies, and ignore bees and other "good" bugs.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

GregV said:


> If you insist on working with open doors into your shop - might as well just treat the bees the same as if flies or mosquitoes.
> No difference.
> In fact, a bee in your shop is much less harmful (because it does not see you as food or threat).
> Are you afraid of loosing a finger because of some mosquito?
> ...


+1
Ignore the bee.
the "bee" is not endangering your finger it is your panic reaction to the bee.
Ignore the bee while the machinery is on.

If you cannot then close the door.

pick,, a sting, or loss of hand parts, seems to be an easy decision to me.

sorry I do not see this as an issue, 

GG


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