Bees

[fireview2788]

As I was checking my stacks today I noticed honey bees working around two separate stacks about 40 yards apart. I saw them go in an out. I figure they are doing one of two thing, either getting sap water or making a hive. I really don't mind since I am not moving the stacks anytime soon and the fact that honey bees are having a rough time right now.

Anyone else ever have this happen? Anyone know for sure what they are doing?

 

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

As I was checking my stacks today I noticed honey bees working around two separate stacks about 40 yards apart. I saw them go in an out. I figure they are doing one of two thing, either getting sap water or making a hive. I really don't mind since I am not moving the stacks anytime soon and the fact that honey bees are having a rough time right now.

Anyone else ever have this happen? Anyone know for sure what they are doing?

How funny just the other day I was out at my stacks and cutting area and the saw dust was infested with them to the point I didnt split there my guess was they were after the sap
as nothing is growing up here yet.But it was the first time I encounterd this glad I am not alone

 

[Willman]

I doubt they are making a hive, They prefer a cavity in a log not really in a stack. Besides its early for a swarm. The spring time is rough on them until the regular forage is blooming.Prolly just sipping some sap if fresh cut.

Will

 

[peakbagger]

There are several variety of wild bees that dont form hives that might nest around in woodpiles. A friend of mine with an low spray apple orchard used to give neighbors piecesof wood with holes drilled in them for the bees to nest in the fall. He woould then move them over near his orachard before spring to get a few more pollinators.

A lot of folks dont recognize that honey bees are invasive species that have pushed out a lot of the native wild bees. Unfortunately the diseases found in honey bees can cross over to the wild bee population.

 

[raybonz]

Around here they use honey bees to pollenate the cranberry bogs.. Lately I have seen some bees laying on the wood stacks in the sun.. Seems like they are just warming up .. I haven't seen them in the wood shelter so I think it's the heat they seek..

Ray

 

[dave11]

They were all over my stacks yesterday too, though that wood is all a year old, so can't imagine they're getting sap. Seems to happen every year at the first warm weather.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

They will be around our wood stacks from time to time but never nest. Yellow jackets are different though and they are wicked and not welcome in our wood piles.

 

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

I have no use for Yellow jackets but the bees I leave alone they have work to do here soon as crops start to get planted lots of taters .

 

[gyrfalcon]

They will be around our wood stacks from time to time but never nest. Yellow jackets are different though and they are wicked and not welcome in our wood piles.

AMEN! <cough> I'm not quite a Buddhist about this, but I do prefer to let even insects alone unless they're actively causing me problems. I make an exception for yellowjackets, though. A few bees, even wasps, generally won't bother you unless you step on one or otherwise cause them real problems, but yellowjackets go after anything that moves just out of pure orneriness. They have nested in my wood stacks in the past, so I keep an eye out for them and blast anyplace I see a few going in and out of with half a can of Safer spray and then run like hell for the house.

 

[mywaynow]

A nice big shop vac will take care of a jackets nest. I use it on ground nests. Vacuum my way to the actual nest by following the tunnel and vacuuming the dirt to gain access. I leave the hose near the hole in the beginning, and it sucks them up as they leave/arrive the nest. Get a bunch that are out first, then start stirring the nest and get the defenders as they come out. Lots of fun! And can be painful. Works though, and no poisons or harmful liquids involved.

 

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

A nice big shop vac will take care of a jackets nest. I use it on ground nests. Vacuum my way to the actual nest by following the tunnel and vacuuming the dirt to gain access. I leave the hose near the hole in the beginning, and it sucks them up as they leave/arrive the nest. Get a bunch that are out first, then start stirring the nest and get the defenders as they come out. Lots of fun! And can be painful. Works though, and no poisons or harmful liquids involved.

Then who do you get to empty the vac

 

[gyrfalcon]

A nice big shop vac will take care of a jackets nest. I use it on ground nests. Vacuum my way to the actual nest by following the tunnel and vacuuming the dirt to gain access. I leave the hose near the hole in the beginning, and it sucks them up as they leave/arrive the nest. Get a bunch that are out first, then start stirring the nest and get the defenders as they come out. Lots of fun! And can be painful. Works though, and no poisons or harmful liquids involved.

Just FYI, Safer brand spray isn't a chemical poison, kills only on direct contact, and doesn't harm anything but wasps and hornets-- again, only on direct contact. I used the standard neurotoxic wasp killer spray once only on a nest on my window and watched with horror for weeks afterwards as any insect that crawled across the area where the spray had long since dried was poisoned and died. The safer spray is a combination of pyrethrin and concentrated citrus.

And I, too, would love to know what you do with a vac full of angry yellowjackets once you've sucked them all up.

 

[TreePointer]

What do do with Shopvac full of angry yellow jackets? Also vacuum up some PyGanic or Delta dust. Done.

 

[DBoon]

A nice big shop vac will take care of a jackets nest. I use it on ground nests. Vacuum my way to the actual nest by following the tunnel and vacuuming the dirt to gain access. I leave the hose near the hole in the beginning, and it sucks them up as they leave/arrive the nest. Get a bunch that are out first, then start stirring the nest and get the defenders as they come out.

I knew somebody in CT who did this as a side-job. He sold the yellowjackets to pharmaceutical companies for drug research. Apparently, they extracted the toxins from them and were testing them as medicines.

 

[ponyboync]

What do they call the bees that bore holes into wood? Carpenter bees? I hate to kill those dudes but they put holes in my house.

 

[shouldntbesocomplicated]

I do too, part of the bonus living in a log home,but then again I dont get the cluster flys like normal houses do up here

 

[ponyboync]

I do too, part of the bonus living in a log home

Nice. Log homes are cool.

 

[ChrisNJ]

What do they call the bees that bore holes into wood? Carpenter bees? I hate to kill those dudes but they put holes in my house.

I agree that I hate to kill potential pollinators but they make a huge mess staining the siding and what not so as I am outside with the kids my badminton racket is never far out of reach.

 

[Jags]

Are you sure they are honey bees? I had some bald faced hornets make a HUGE nest in some stacked wood in a shed (long term storage). I mean a big sucker. Made a real mess out of a bunch of the stack. Not too mention that bald faced hornets are not very friendly, and you couldn't get to the nest. They made it deep in the center of the stacked wood. Bastiges.

 

[ponyboync]

What do they call the bees that bore holes into wood? Carpenter bees? I hate to kill those dudes but they put holes in my house.

I agree that I hate to kill potential pollinators but they make a huge mess staining the siding and what not so as I am outside with the kids my badminton racket is never far out of reach.

Ha. I use my little girl's plastic shovel.

 

[fireview2788]

Mine a definitely honey bees. I can get close to them without a problem. I know baldface hornets and them suckers are the meanest SOBs on the planet. I think they'll sting you for even thinking.

 

[raybonz]

What do they call the bees that bore holes into wood? Carpenter bees? I hate to kill those dudes but they put holes in my house.

Yup you gotta kill them.. Had them here and they bore some pretty big holes then create channels through the wood.. I have read that painting your wood will prevent this.. I had rough sawn board and batten which I used clear wood finish to seal aka CWF anf that didn't stop them however Azek trim boards took care of it..

Ray

 

[Backwoods Savage]

On the holes that are filled with bees. We just go out at night with some boiling water and pour in the hole. Gets rid of them fast and no chemicals are used.

 

[woodsman23]

On the holes that are filled with bees. We just go out at night with some boiling water and pour in the hole. Gets rid of them fast and no chemicals are used.

Paint over holes with carlic mixed with paint or water this works well, mix garlic with paint when ready to paint/stain and use the powered kind mix it in heavy paint and no more bees.

 

[ponyboync]

I wonder if these things work.

http://www.carpenterbeecatcher.com/