big black carpenter bees!
yikes! we've had about 6 big black bees appear dead at the same spot under our eaves over the last week. My wife searched the web and found that they were probably Carpenter Bees, and the articles also say they like to dig holes in the wood -like huge termites? We think they're emerging from the crannies between the roof beams and the eaves trim, there are some nice looking spots in there where one of these guys would fit.
We're still eichler newbies -is this a problem or just a nuisance? anyone else been having big black bees?
Carpenter bees are very common under Eichler overhangs. The big black bees like small openings that open to larger areas. Pest companies spray poison into the holes and vacuum the little corpses, eggs etc. out. ( I wonder how well this vacuuming really works). The best prevention is to caulk any opening that may appear inviting to a carpenter bee. The place to start is the existing bored holes and larger gaps between the tongue and groove under the eaves.
Our carpenter bees live in the large cracks between the end of the roofing boards and the fascia board. The board ends are cut very unevenly, and most of the cracks are much too large to caulk. I've had pretty good luck using low-expanding foam to fill the cracks and keep the bees out. It's messy, because the foam will drip on everything below, and because after it drys you have to cut it and sand it evenly with the roof boards. But it looks pretty nice once it's done.
-Andrew
Hi,
Yup, sounds like carpenter bees. Like Andrew, mine utilize the existing cracks between the planks of the overhang and where the end of the planks meet the fascia. Guess mine are more tenacious than his though, as they ate through all the products I tried (caulking, expanding foam, etc.)
I did have them treated yearly for the 2 or 3 years I had the house (they, or their offspring, seem to return to the same holes and only look for new entrances if the old ones have been Chemically sprayed).
Since we only get a handful each year and they are pretty easy to spot in the early evening when they return, I have started treating the holes myself. I use a product manufactured by Bayer, available from OSH called "Advanced Home - Home Pest Control"--comes in a blue gallon with hose and attached spray nozzle. It drips when applied overhead so don't stand directly underneath.
Seems to do the job for me. Worth a try.
Jake
