Boring Bees/Woodpecker problems!

[off_da_grid]

Ok, first of all I have those stupid boring bees living in the rafters of my porch.
Secondly, the woodpeckers are really chopping at the wood to try and get to them. How do I solve this issue be fore my porch roof falls down?

[goatsareus]

my advice is to do nothing. I think you are lucky to have the wood peckers eating the bee grubs. It took about 5 years for the woodpeckers to show up at our place to start to rid us of the carpenter bee grubs. What are the dimentions of the rafters? Are they truely in danger of collapsing?

[Tricky Grama]

We had bees trying to bore into our porch wood & we used orange oil. Diluted it maybe 4 to 1 & wiped it all over as if we were cleaning w/it. The bees stopped trying to nest.

Patty

[off_da_grid]

Here's a pic. They're just 2x4's. Collapsing is not an issue at this point but I can see that it will be if this keeps up.

[goatsareus]

yep. looks just like our damage. But we have had the carpenter bees for 5 years now, and our damage is quite extensive. The damage on the shed rafters will not affect its structural integrity, cause the shed roof was way overbuilt, i'm thinking 2x12's for a metal roof. The damage on our cedar siding on the house will need fixing. We are just waiting for the woodpeckers to finish their job before we replace the siding.

The orange oil sounds interesting and worth a try. It is too late for me to try it. Just give a shout if you do not have a source for the orange oil.

Thanks for taking the time to post the pictures!

[off_da_grid]

How much is the Orange oil? Where do I get some?
And do you think I could apply it with a garden sprayer?
Or does it cost too much to waste that way?

[goatsareus]

I use it in cooking and get it from this place..

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/...erm=orange+oil

Have no idea about a sprayer. Maybe Tricky Grama has an idea.

I do know it is a very potent product. In cooking, i just use a drop or two. It is very intense stuff.

[texican]

I've used 1"x2" slats (like from the preassembled lattice boards) about 3' long work great for boring bees. Using your kung fu powers, swat them out of the air... You can take down a population in a few hours.

[goatsareus]

yes, that method does work. I used to use a tennis racquet to stun them and then step on them to kill them. Trouble was, I had hundreds of them, maybe thousands! I gave up that method when the woodpeckers moved in.

[off_da_grid]

Not sure how good my kung fu powers are but it sounds like a good sport to take up. I think this evening after we grill some italian turkey sausages. I'll start swatting.

[canfossi]

I just put up cedar siding and have had a woodpecker pecking at the evestroughing, it hasn't clued into the siding yet hopefully he/she doesn't either. No bees up there yet though. Chris

[Tricky Grama]

Wow-I thought I paid a lot for orange oil! I get mine from the farm store so I bet it's a different 'grade' than what goatsareus posted. It was about $8 for a quart. The brand is "Erath Earth" bottled by "Erath Earth a Gathering and Holding co." Rt. 2 Box 111, Hico TX 76457.

I use a sprayer I bought at Lowe's or Home Decrepot.

Kills insects too, diluted.

Patty