# carpenter bees harrassing my hives



## J-SiN (Jun 5, 2008)

Whats up with these carpenter bees? NOT bumblebees , they look liek them but have full black abdomen

I been noticing them around my hives chasing bees that come and go

I swatted one down today but 2 more showed up

whats the deal?

how do ya stop these from harrassing the bees?


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

That's odd, I have a lot of carpenter bees in the yard without a problem.
I wonder if they want to nest in the wood of you're hive.


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

There was an article in the March _Bee Culture_ about European Hornets, which devour honey bees.


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## J-SiN (Jun 5, 2008)

thats them

I swatted three already

and they actually chase the bees 

ive watched them do it many times

not sure whats up

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236867


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I've noticed a lot of them this spring as well. They're hard to hit unless you have something designed for swatting. I think I'm going to add a tennis racket to my bee box


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## alicelee428 (Jun 3, 2008)

I have them, too. They not only harass my honey bees, they harass ME---dive bomb me, but have not stung. My beekeeping club spoke about them last year. Some kind of trap involving a soda bottle, soda (not diet) and oil, I think. I will find out and get back with you!


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## kbenz (Feb 17, 2010)

please do........ having problems with them here as well........


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## Doc5000 (Jul 3, 2009)

They are tearing up the fascia on my workshop. I am thinking of using a .22 pistol with rat shot to get rid of them. For sport.


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## alicelee428 (Jun 3, 2008)

Found directions for making a carpenter bee trap online:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5611563_build-carpenter-bee-traps.html


Hopefully, our "good" bees won't take the bait and be trapped...I'm gonna make one, but will keep a close eye on it to make sure the girls don't get into it.


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## J-SiN (Jun 5, 2008)

im sure that would work but I dont wanna trap MY bees too


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Hi J-sin,
I'm a little confused are they carpenter bees or the wasp? The thread seams to have gone 2 different directions.

On the fascia boards, I've heard carpenter bees won't mess with treated, or painted wood.


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## Rottybee (Mar 18, 2010)

I have seen carpenter bees bore holes and do whatever they do in treated 4x4's that I have used for fencing. They have also bored holes in my porch fascia board that is painted. One morning, while having coffee, I heard what sounded like a .30 cal machine gun out back and looked and saw a red headed woodpecker hanging off the side of that fascia board trying to bore through to get at what I assume was the larvae from those bees!


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## Duboisi (Oct 7, 2009)

If those bees are larger than honeybees. It may be an idea to make a trap with a funnel going in, and some holes that are large enough for the honey-bees to get out. Guess a netting that has holes of about the same or slightly larger than a queen-excluder should be about right.

If the trap attracts honey-bees, it probably has to be moved quite often though.


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## wfuavenger (Dec 11, 2009)

I always used badmitton racketts.... They work really well. Move slowly to get close and swing. Knock them down and step on them.


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## kbenz (Feb 17, 2010)

my son and I have been killing them with a badminton racket


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## Doc5000 (Jul 3, 2009)

My son shot 4 of them (so far) out of the air with a pellet gun. I was amazed. He said that when they hover, if you aim quickly, you can get them. It saved a trip to buy rat shot.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

I don't understand why people feel the need to kill carpenter bees. They are not a stinging threat and honeybees will do just fine dealing with those that want to investigate their hive. The biggest issue with them is their wood boring, but there are ways to deal with that that don't involve killing them. I love sitting on my deck watching them hover around and chase after other flying things.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

alicelee428 said:


> Hopefully, our "good" bees won't take the bait and be trapped...I'm gonna make one, but will keep a close eye on it to make sure the girls don't get into it.


Carpenter bees ARE good bees! How can we be the champion of honeybees and then in the next breath talk about killing other bees? Read up on and learn about carpenter bees. They pose little to no stinging threat and are a joy to watch.


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## alicelee428 (Jun 3, 2008)

I was once told that carpenter bees eat honey bees. Maybe that was false information???? They are definitely chasing my honey bees...


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

"Male bees are often seen hovering near nests, and will approach nearby animals. However, males are harmless since they do not have a stingerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee#cite_note-2. Female bees do have a stinger, but are not aggressive, and will not sting unless directly provoked."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee

They will "chase" anything that gets near their nest. A Carpenter bee is no more able to do harm to a hive of honeybees as is a bumble bee or other stinging insects. A chased honeybee from a Carpenter bee does no harm. I see them chase birds as well. Since they (the chasers) don't have a stinger, the most they can do is intimidate. Long live the Carpenter bee. :applause:


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## kbenz (Feb 17, 2010)

i don't care much for their boring holes in the siding on my shop. my wife doesn't like them dive bombing her either........


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Hey Barry,
Thanks for clearing that up. I haven't seen any problems with the ones around here.


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## alicelee428 (Jun 3, 2008)

Okay, Barry...thanks for clearing up our misconceptions. I am no longer out to get the carpenter bees!


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

:applause:

Next in line will be the carpenters, and since I'm a carpenter . . . :lookout:


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

Barry said:


> Carpenter bees ARE good bees! How can we be the champion of honeybees and then in the next breath talk about killing other bees? Read up on and learn about carpenter bees. They pose little to no stinging threat and are a joy to watch.


Sorry Barry, I live in a log cabin, and it is not a joy watching them bore holes in it. If I see carpenter bees near my cabin, I kill them. No mercy.


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## cjmcharlotte (Aug 1, 2009)

In fact, it is the carpenter bees that do all of the pollination in my yard. They were the only ones working my veggie garden last year, cukes, tomatoes, squash. No honeys, just carpenters. Sheesh.


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## peterloringborst (Jan 19, 2010)

indypartridge said:


> Sorry Barry, I live in a log cabin, and it is not a joy watching them bore holes in it. If I see carpenter bees near my cabin, I kill them. No mercy.


These are native pollinators, and deserve to be protected. Many native species of bees, wasps, and other beneficial insects are nearly extinct. 

Besides, what harm do they do? They bore a little hole in an inch or two to raise babies. In the fall, they're gone. 

You could slap a little Bondo in there to fill the hole. And, they could bore another hole the next year. 

Or -- you could let them use the same hole year after year. That's what I do.


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## DDeezBeez (8 mo ago)

J-SiN said:


> thats them
> 
> I swatted three already
> 
> ...


 looks nothing like a carpenter bee


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## elmer_fud (Apr 21, 2018)

this is a 12 year old thread


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