Carpenter bees

Walnut media! Great idea, no ricochet hazard, no lead, no broken windows. Bug-a-salt on steroids.
So you're pushing the first wad right down on top of the powder?
Any media get in/on the gun?
 
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all your ideas. Proof that men never lose that boyhood imagination. And I am thankful for that.
 
Carpenter bees
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I took a P/U load of cedar and pecan cut into 4" inch slabs to a family member in South Texas on the gulf, I help him build a saw mill and I furnished the blades. It was an exciting trip, the excitement started when I started loading, I had stored the slabs in a barn in East Texas, whole loading my friend on the other end of the first slab started hollering; SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! Without moving more than necessary I had to ask, "WHAT KIND? I knew it was looking into my ear hole on the left side; I slower (slower I turned:) ) turned and found it to be one of those snakes you want in your barn, this one had to be 8".

On the way down to South Texas I stopped for gas, this was about the time the BIG BEES came out and were circling overhead. The fuel islands were abandoned and took on the4 appearance of folks running for their lives. They were thoughtful, they were telling me to run and save myself. I told them I was going to need help loading those big bees.

When I got to South Texas I do not believe I lost one bee. Anyhow, we unloaded the wood without mishap. My old friend wanted to know how I made it that far with al of those bees, I told him they hatched after I delivered the wood. I can only guess if I had weight the truck before loading and again after unloading I could determine the weigh of the bees before unloading, after all, those were very big bees.

F. Guffey
 
I swat the carpenter bees with a badminton racquet as well. Fun making those guys bounce off the deck boards. Wife uses a brown or gray plastic grocery bag stuffed with other plastic bags to keep most the bees away.
 
rodfac said:
Geez, that's downright clever....thx. Rod
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We had several colonies of Africanized bees. Clearly wasn't interested in swatting them with a tennis racket or getting close with an electronic fly swatter.
The bee keepers charged $300 to show up and several hundred more to kill them if Africanized or relocate them if not, and may take a couple of days to show up.

10 cents of electricity and a couple of days and they were all relocated to my shop vac.

More than 10K bees each time, none of them survived the trip down the pipe and hose for some reason. I always thought they were pretty agile pilots. I guess not.
 
cecILL said:
Hello Everyone. Going to load up some .38 shot shells for an obvious reason.

Watched some youtube videos. Seeking any knowledge and or advice.

Have Unique and 7.5 shot.
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Personally, I have considered short-grain rice seated on top of a primer and a little plug of soap to cap things off. But, it seems a coat of oil based paint is less than delicious to 'em.
 
Just an fyi for this conversation. Raids flea and bedbug spray is a bumble bee irritant....not a bumble bee killer. As kids we used to wasp hunt in the barns for wasps and bumble bees. Makes good practice.
 
Shooting your fascia boards and eaves with 7.5 bird shot doesn't sound like a great way to deal with Carpenter Bees. Put up a Carpenter Bee house and they move right in , leave your fascia boards and exposed rafters alone.
Don't forget , if you have a garden, they are important pollinators . The carpenter Bee houses sell for around $15.00 , hang one or two up and they will leave the big house alone.
Gary
 
TXAZ, I've used the shop vac in our pantry to get a mouse infestation under control. My wife saw one running in there so I got the vac out and nozzled him right up...and 3 more of his buddies! The trip through the vac hose killed them all too.

As a pilot for more than 40 years, I was just short of being an "Ace"...also found the vac useful on cool days when the flies that get inside can't move so fast, and with no splatter on the kitchen window glass!

Lastly, I've tried corn meal, and #12 shot in .45 Colt brass and fired through my Ruger NV with minimal results other than nicking up the fascia on our cabin with the #12 shot. With either, I had to be within a foot or two to have any chance of knocking them down. I'll try that suggestion of ground walnut shells used in my brass tumbler some time.

Best regards, Rod
 
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