Carpenter bees and fly predators

[longlanefarm]

Scheduled to have my large old bank barn professionally sprayed for the carpenter bees that are destroying it as well as the neighboring tractor barn.

This is my first year with fly predators and they are doing a phenomenal job! I started wondering today if the chemical they use to rid me of carpenter bees will harm/kill the fly predators? (Don’t know it by name at this point) I was going to call the pest company but didn’t think they’d even know what a fly predator was?!?

Secondary question, I’ll be sending the horses out to pasture while they’re treating the barn but should I “quarantine” the barn cats as well? I know cats are often extra sensitive to various chemicals.

[OneTwoMany]

@longlanefarm

Scheduled to have my large old bank barn professionally sprayed for the carpenter bees that are destroying it as well as the neighboring tractor barn.

This is my first year with fly predators and they are doing a phenomenal job! I started wondering today if the chemical they use to rid me of carpenter bees will harm/kill the fly predators? (Don’t know it by name at this point) I was going to call the pest company but didn’t think they’d even know what a fly predator was?!?

Secondary question, I’ll be sending the horses out to pasture while they’re treating the barn but should I “quarantine” the barn cats as well? I know cats are often extra sensitive to various chemicals.

We had our barn treated for carpenter bees last year and again this year. We didn’t quarantine the barn cats, but the chemicals were applied higher up on the barn; around windows soffits, etc.

[horsepoor]

Contact the company that does your fly predators - they should know. I use Spalding and they’ve been helpful in the past when I’ve had questions.

[trubandloki]

Glad I saw this thread.
The carpenter bees are getting really annoying here. I never thought I could have stuff sprayed to get rid of them.

[longlanefarm]

@trubandloki

Glad I saw this thread.
The carpenter bees are getting really annoying here. I never thought I could have stuff sprayed to get rid of them.

At our old house (wood siding) they were relentless. Erlich sprayed once and they were gone.

Good idea @horsepoor will contact Spalding.

[FitToBeTied]

Spraying will kill off carpenter bees. However, as long as the wood is untreated (not painted, stained or varnished) they will come back.

[longlanefarm]

@FitToBeTied

Spraying will kill off carpenter bees. However, as long as the wood is untreated (not painted, stained or varnished) they will come back.

Well it is painted, however, no telling when it was last painted so it is definitely well worn (as is the wood). The barn was built around 1860ish but no idea of the upkeep since then as we’ve only been there less than a year. It’s HUGE so a paint job, let alone residing, will be a big project.

[trubandloki]

@FitToBeTied

Spraying will kill off carpenter bees. However, as long as the wood is untreated (not painted, stained or varnished) they will come back.

The places I have an issue are not places we ever intend to paint.
Fencing (pressure treated), barn trusses, etc.

[Ballygrace]

There are traps for carpenter bees that work pretty well. Basically a wood 4x4 with a hole drilled into it that leads to a jar attached at the bottom. We have several that fill up quickly as soon as the weather starts warming. We google the plans and they were pretty easy to make.
Sue

[Dressage59]

@Ballygrace Never knew they had traps. We just sprayed with stuff from HD and they’ve left. We’ll check out the plans. Thanks!

[longlanefarm]

@Ballygrace

There are traps for carpenter bees that work pretty well. Basically a wood 4x4 with a hole drilled into it that leads to a jar attached at the bottom. We have several that fill up quickly as soon as the weather starts warming. We google the plans and they were pretty easy to make.
Sue

I will try the traps inside as we have massive beams that they are starting to get to :eek:

[wsmoak]

Horrible things. We have a log home, so it’s a constant battle. We alternate Tengard and Bifen IT (plus Bora Care).

Ideally you spray early in the year, as soon as you see them come out, because that’s when they’re going to be chewing on things making new homes. That’s when you can kill them, when they ingest the poison – once they’re inside, spraying doesn’t hurt them.

The traps do work! You might have to move them around to find the most effective locations.

And there is always the game of bee-minton, in which you carry around cheap badminton racquets, and whack the bees as they fly around, then stomp on them.

Our agricultural extension agent says they are not even very good pollinators, so there isn’t much to recommend them.

DO be careful that you are not murdering bumble bees. Carpenter bees have a shiny abdomen, bumblebees are fuzzy.

-Wendy

[longlanefarm]

Yes and the size difference is considerable. I want to do no harm to honey bees!
I am concerned we’re late in the season however we had good results even with those already burrowed at our old home.