Summertime Pests - How do you rid your property of bees/wasps?

[ArcadiaGP]

I've done a lot of research into this, and most methods only speak of how to kill them. Soapy water tends to rank high... and yeah, that's an option, but I'd prefer to prevent them.

There's a giant bumblebee that just floats around the dog's pen outside, and I really don't want one of the dogs to go after it. That, and I don't want it near me. Then around the front of the house there are wasps here and there around the bushes. I'd love to mow the lawn unmolested by these demons.

I did a cursory look around the house, and only see one apparent "nest", but it's an old one from the previous year, pretty high up. I'll try to spray it down sometime soon.

Are there any perimeter sprays or plants that I could get to deter bees and wasps? What works for you?

 

[KLB]

Why are you worried about bumblebees? They are close to harmless,

Wasps on the other hand you probably want to eradicate.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Why are you worried about bumblebees? They are close to harmless,

Wasps on the other hand you probably want to eradicate.

Because the bee is about the size of a nickel. I don't want that thing anywhere near me.

 

[orangeITguy]

None that I know of. I have the big fat bumblebees at my place every spring. They are carpenter bees (at least thats what i have) they dont sting but they **** me off. I have spraied them with wasp killer, carb cleaner, etc and they just fall down and fly away. To be honest I got a small tennis racket and I wack them out of the air then step on them. From what google has told me in the past is they burrow into unpainted wood. You will see perfect round holes about 1/2". I fill them in with spray foam and hope for the best. good luck.

 

[Twangbanger]

If you have wasp nests from last year, you might want to soap or Permethrin them up pretty good now, to make sure the Queen didn't overwinter. If she did, she'll eventually start a new one and once they get going, they're hard to stop. I had one last year that got out of hand, and the nest cavern in the ground got so big my tractor almost toppled going over it.

 

[orangeITguy]

I have seen wasp flying around my house this year. I cant seem to find a visible nest anywhere.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Wood borer wasps are huge and harmless to you, but will perforate your wooden items. Could that be the huge thing you've seen?

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Wood boarer wasps are huge and harmless to you, but will perforate your wooden items.

Have you considered that maybe I'm a big ol' *****, though? Because that's what the situation is here.

 

[churchmouse]

Wasps build out of site if they can. Look for concentrations of them hovering around and you will be close to the nest.

Bumble bee's are harmless but they bore into the trim on your house. They leave a perfectly round hole about half an inch. They are usually in there at night. Find the holes. Wait till dark and apply insecticide. We have been fighting those for years.

 

[hoosierdoc]

No, I hadn't considered that. Get three fingers in your left hand, a tennis racquet in your right and go to town. Racquets make great guillotines

 

[churchmouse]

Have you considered that maybe I'm a big ol' *****, though? Because that's what the situation is here.

I was thinking you were but decorum prevents me from calling you out on this condition.......

​sissy

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I was thinking you were but decorum prevents me from calling you out on this condition.......

​sissy

Hehe. I've never gotten along with stinging insects. I'd prefer spiders to giant, flying things with venom.

 

[jagee]

Have you considered that maybe I'm a big ol' *****, though? Because that's what the situation is here.

Grow a pair, Nancy!

Catch 'em with your bare hands, dip 'em in chocolate and have them for dessert!!!

 

[churchmouse]

Hehe. I've never gotten along with stinging insects. I'd prefer spiders to giant, flying things with venom.

I know the big bumbles are harmless but annoying.

They scare my G-kids silly. Screams and panic, mayhem abounds.

 

[olhorseman]

None that I know of. I have the big fat bumblebees at my place every spring. They are carpenter bees (at least thats what i have) they dont sting but they **** me off. I have spraied them with wasp killer, carb cleaner, etc and they just fall down and fly away. To be honest I got a small tennis racket and I wack them out of the air then step on them. From what google has told me in the past is they burrow into unpainted wood. You will see perfect round holes about 1/2". I fill them in with spray foam and hope for the best. good luck.

I'm now primarily in our cabin in North Carolina and carpenter bees are everywhere. My recommendation is to get Drione powder and spray in any holes you find. Adults will come out of the holes and the powder will kill them and any larvae remaining. Fill the holes in the fall and paint or varnish over them. They are lazy bas... and will look for any open holes next year. The only place I have found for Drione powder is on Amazon. Oh, and tennis rackets are great weapons against them and stress relievers.

 

[CountryBoy19]

As noted, the "bumblebee" you're seeing is harmless. It is a drone (male) and they don't have a stinger; he is hovering there because it's mating season, and he has staked that out at his territory so he is guarding it. You will notice that others will come in, they will have a mid-air tussle, and then the offender will often fly away (only to return and try again in a short while).

That being said, females can, and will sting if you threaten their nest. Supposedly their sting is severely painful, but I've never been stung by one. It takes quite a bit to provoke an attack from a bumblebee.

 

[olhorseman]

As noted, the "bumblebee" you're seeing is harmless. It is a drone (male) and they don't have a stinger; he is hovering there because it's mating season, and he has staked that out at his territory so he is guarding it. You will notice that others will come in, they will have a mid-air tussle, and then the offender will often fly away (only to return and try again in a short while).

That being said, females can, and will sting if you threaten their nest. Supposedly their sting is severely painful, but I've never been stung by one. It takes quite a bit to provoke an attack from a bumblebee.

Carpenter bees exhibit the same behavior. You can distinguish between a bumblebee and a carpenter bee by the abdomen. Bumblebees have a fat "hairy" abdomen and the carpenter bee has a fat shiny abdomen. Personally, I'm more the bumblebee type.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

As noted, the "bumblebee" you're seeing is harmless. It is a drone (male) and they don't have a stinger; he is hovering there because it's mating season, and he has staked that out at his territory so he is guarding it. You will notice that others will come in, they will have a mid-air tussle, and then the offender will often fly away (only to return and try again in a short while).

That being said, females can, and will sting if you threaten their nest. Supposedly their sting is severely painful, but I've never been stung by one. It takes quite a bit to provoke an attack from a bumblebee.

When I look right at it with the sun out, it's a big black ball, and there's a "shine" to the area that looks like it's head. I feel like I've seen a protrusion from it's arse... what I thought was a stinger, but maybe it was it's legs?

 

[pjcalla]

An easy way to kill the carpenter bees is to wait until dusk. Get a cotton ball, soak it in Sevin, and plug the hole. The bee will be inside, and will die from the Sevin.

Tennis rackets are fun, but the "thud" of a big, red whiffleball bat is great too.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I agree with the carpenter bee stuff above. They'll bore into painted wood as well though. Those 1/2" holes can be a trick to find though. If you notice saw dust on the ground, under your porch...or even on your porch but under the overhang of a step as I did once, there's probably a bee drilling a hole in your house. That's where you'll want to watch and when the little sucker crawls inside, flush him out with something like ammonia and smash him.