[surepip]

Several visitors this past week have commented on the carpenter bee traps we have hanging in the eaves, and were mesmerized watching the bees light on the hole, crawl in, and then drop into the bottle.

We are averaging 30 to 40 bees in them every 4 to 5 days.

And, I had a request to build some for sale, so I did.

I will build more if there is a demand.

$20 each, unpainted

I can bring some by the Hiram Kmart Humane Society event tomorrow [04-06] Friday morning.

We also have lettuce sets for sale, flats of 6 to 9 for $2 [Romaine, Bibb, Black Seeded Simpson, Red Mustard and Arugula]

And we have plenty of Herb plants, Oregano, Cilantro, Marjoram, Taragon, Thyme, etc.

Let me know

[All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah]

I want one! Just tell me how I can pick it up! The bees are eating up my kids swingset and then the woodpeckers are going after them!

[surepip]

I will have some more traps ready tomorrow afternoon unless some chicken industry business diverts my attention. I'll post when more are ready.

[All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah]

surepip, on 05 April 2012 - 03:43 PM, said:

I will have some more traps ready tomorrow afternoon unless some chicken industry business diverts my attention. I'll post when more are ready.

Thanks, hold one for me. I can pick up tomorrow after work or Saturday.

[blessedby2]

i want one, what even at kmart in hiram for humane society??? what is that about?

[mach4]

I would like 2 please.

[Lady Raider]

These do work my husband made us some, and some family members some...

[surepip]

blessedby2, on 05 April 2012 - 04:23 PM, said:

i want one, what even at kmart in hiram for humane society??? what is that about?

There is a Humane Society low cost vaccination, flea/tick, etc. for pets tomorrow morning at Kmart in Hiram which I will be taking Daisy Dog to.

But I am done for the night cutting, drilling, gluing and brading so I won't have any more traps available until tomorrow afternoon/evening.

But I will put you down for 1 and we can hook up somewhere. If you come through Hiram/Dallas at Bill Carruth Parkway, and am just down the road to the west on the south side of 278 at the next road that crosses over 278.

[surepip]

OK, per the pms I have received, I have a backlog now for what I can build tomorrow. I can have some more available Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

Just let me know, and I will build more.

And thanks again to Curtis/Caped Crusader for the badminton rackets. That is still the most fun way to dispose of the critters. But watching them go into the traps and fall into the bottles is fun also, with far less activity.

[Papi]

Surepip. It's April. Take the Crimmus lights down.

[surepip]

You noticed those, huh?

When we have a front porch party, they are far more soothing light than the sconces on either side of the door, so we just leave them up all year.

[surepip]

I have a handful done now, and should have all I owe done by this evening.

Send me a pm if you want to pick any up this evening.

[surepip]

I'm tired and its WAY past the cocktail hour. I have the ones ready for those who p'med me wanting them this evening.

15 or 16 more need the tops and bottoms installed.

Any more for this evening ?

[Deputy Rafe Hollister]

I've noticed a few carpenter bees last week. Guess I need to get one. I have to ask if you're buying all that wood and where are you getting all those bottles? How many bees does one of those trap per day?

[All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah]

I picked mine up, it was a pleasure meeting you and my kids loved the quality time with your pup!

[hotwheels]

O.K., nobody's asked and I'm curious. Do they suffocate, smother each other to death, or what? I guess they die in there, right?

[Go BLUE!]

hotwheels, on 06 April 2012 - 07:49 PM, said:

O.K., nobody's asked and I'm curious. Do they suffocate, smother each other to death, or what? I guess they die in there, right?

Yeah that was my question....I have a deck I feared had termites but it's these damn bees.

[lowrider]

I use a fly swatter and knock them outta the field. And then they come flying back and get in my face and I hit them again.

They're so funny how they will just get in your face in one spot like they're looking at you.

It's actually kinda fun.



Glad you've got a side business going there Surepip!

[hotwheels]

Yeah. The darn things are kind of aggressive right now. I guess it being spring and mating time and all. I've had a couple to get right in my face like they're ready to do battle. Swatted the hell out of one with something I had in my hand. I aint got no badminton racket!

[markdavd]

hotwheels, on 06 April 2012 - 07:49 PM, said:

O.K., nobody's asked and I'm curious. Do they suffocate, smother each other to death, or what? I guess they die in there, right?

Once they get in the bottle they can't get out, so they eventually wear themselves out. In fact, the more bees in the bottom, the more bees you'll catch. I guess it's because they smell a dead bee and hope to 'steal' their tunnels.

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to the plans for these and Surepip said he used that to build the first one. Do y'all think I should ask a commission?

[surepip]

markdavd, on 06 April 2012 - 08:57 PM, said:

Once they get in the bottle they can't get out, so they eventually wear themselves out. In fact, the more bees in the bottom, the more bees you'll catch. I guess it's because they smell a dead bee and hope to 'steal' their tunnels.

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to the plans for these and Surepip said he used that to build the first one. Do y'all think I should ask a commission?

You can ask MD, but I had already seen the Walter Reeves episode on PBS and had gone on line with his link. But if you buy some, I might swing you a discount!!!

[surepip]

hotwheels, on 06 April 2012 - 07:49 PM, said:

O.K., nobody's asked and I'm curious. Do they suffocate, smother each other to death, or what? I guess they die in there, right?

I empty mine once a week. 30-50 bees, and I have 4 up and will put some more on the upstairs deck tomorrow. there are normally 4 or 5 still alive. I put a couple back in to "prime" the trap. Walter Reeve's website suggested this as they emit some sort of aroma luring other bees in.

They go in the drilled hole expecting to go right or left into a tunnel, and fall to the bottom instead where they get a bit disoriented and fall into the big hole into the bottles.


I assume the finally just give up the fight, but they wiggle around for at least 24-36 hours [oh Lord, the ButterflyLion will be coming after me now ].

We have noticed on occaision a wasp gets in with them, and attacks and stings the carpenter bees. He dies along with them.

This evening I ran out of glue of all things [same quart bottle I have had for 5-6 years] and have to get some more tomorrow to finish what I have cut and ready to go. I glue all the joints on the 4 sides of the box, and the bottom and top to the box [MD, your U-tube guy did not do that] before I brad them. The boxes should last pretty much forever, as the glued joints inhibit moisture making them swell or warp. But I assume the plastic bottles will have to be replaced every other year or so as those bottles don't have UV inhibitor and the plastic will eventually turn brittle.

I may go a bit fancier on the next batch and use a canning jar ring as an escutcheon plate to hold the plastic bottles on, with screws instead of stapling them just for the looks and to make it easier when you have to replace the bottles down the road.

And note, I still get out their with the badminton rackets and take out 20 or 30 a day. We hit them towards the driveway and then the chihuahua goes after them and finishes them off.....most of the time. She does not eat them like my old pound puppy did, but she does maul them enough that they can't fly off again.

I have 10 unspoken for as of now. I have made jigs to cut and drill the diagonal holes, and to hold the sides in place while I glue and brad them. Took a while to make the jigs but it speeds up the assembly and makes them all very uniform.

We like to sit on the front porch and watch them hover around the traps, making bets on whether they will go in. When they do, we cheer and clap, and count down while waiting for them to fall into the bottle. We have never seen one come back out the top holes.

[surepip]

All I Hear is Blah Blah Blah, on 06 April 2012 - 07:09 PM, said:

I picked mine up, it was a pleasure meeting you and my kids loved the quality time with your pup!

Yeah, the Granddog is a hoot. She likes EVERYONE on 2 feet. But don't ask any of the folks who were at the Humane Society event at Kmart this morning about her. She had every oversize Doberman and other dogs cowering after we arrived while MrsSurepip carrierd her, tied down by her harness. She was absolutely AWFUL with the meanest most terrible growling and ferrociousness you could imagine. She had to wait 100 yards off behind Kmart until it was her turn.

I told them she is as sweet as she can be with people, but that she had some serious problems with her social skills with other canines. And she never even saw one of the cats, God forbid. Awful....she was just embarrasingly awful. As Laurie Penny would say, "She was out there writing checks her little behind could not even begin to cover".

Since she did not have to get a shot, they moved us up in line to check her out for her flea/tick/heartworm preventative, and got us on our way before she started a dog-riot.

[surepip]

For those waiting, I will have another 10-12 traps ready tomorrow afternoon.

For those already promised, yours are ready awaiting pick up.

Any more, just let me know and I can do some more.

Thanks

[cherokeewoman]

Surepip you are doing better than me... I bought one from a baseball ass hung it on the porch and have only caught one bee.
I have heard people say they work great... maybe I need to move mine closer to the roof? I want to catch a lot of bees.

[surepip]

cherokeewoman, on 08 April 2012 - 12:48 AM, said:

Surepip you are doing better than me... I bought one from a baseball ass hung it on the porch and have only caught one bee.
I have heard people say they work great... maybe I need to move mine closer to the roof? I want to catch a lot of bees.

Some things I have noticed playing around with the traps the past 2 weeks or so.

Mine do better on the north side of the house compared to the south. And the east better than the west.

If the area the trap is hung in already has a bunch of bee holes drilled in house wood they won't necessarily go to the traps. We filled the holes with caulk, and within an hour or so the bees were visiting the traps, although they kept trying to get at their pre-existing holes with the caulk in them.

[markdavd]

I've found using regular caulking is just a temporary fix - they'll dig it out after a year of so.

There are 2 things I've found that they won't dig out and seals the hole permenantly. One is to put steel-wool in the entrance. Te second is to use the black roofing tar that comes in a caulking tube (this one's a little messy).

Another thing is before you seal the holes, get some Spectracide Termite Killer at Home Depot. The can says it also kills carpenter bees. It comes will a tube you afix to the nozzle so you can spray it directly into the tunnels. It foams up filling the cavities so you're killing any bee (or eggs) before you seal their tunnel.

[surepip]

Yes, a tuft of steel wool daubed in the hole on top of the caulk makes a more permanent fix.

I am ahead now, and have more traps assembled than I have requests for.

[LPPT]

I need to speak with Mrs. Pip, is she up?
I think your lying about my little Dada disgracing herself
She will have to come over on Tuesdays and get socialized with the pack

[surepip]

LPPT, on 09 April 2012 - 08:26 AM, said:

I need to speak with Mrs. Pip, is she up?
I think your lying about my little Dada disgracing herself
She will have to come over on Tuesdays and get socialized with the pack

Your little Dada did not disgrace herself. But she did intimidate every giant dog that was waiting their turn in line to see the vet, and totally embarassed us. MrsSurepip had to walk 200' away behind Kmart with your little Dada so she did not make the other dogs mess themselves.

[LPPT]

surepip, on 09 April 2012 - 08:47 AM, said:

Your little Dada did not disgrace herself. But she did intimidate every giant dog that was waiting their turn in line to see the vet, and totally embarassed us. MrsSurepip had to walk 200' away behind Kmart with your little Dada so she did not make the other dogs mess themselves.

A true Chi!!!

[Lady Raider]

surepip, on 08 April 2012 - 09:49 AM, said:

Some things I have noticed playing around with the traps the past 2 weeks or so.

Mine do better on the north side of the house compared to the south. And the east better than the west.

If the area the trap is hung in already has a bunch of bee holes drilled in house wood they won't necessarily go to the traps. We filled the holes with caulk, and within an hour or so the bees were visiting the traps, although they kept trying to get at their pre-existing holes with the caulk in them.

we did the same thing... we have some made with canning jars and plastic bottles.. my mom has hers out in the yard on a Sheppards pole and she has already got quite a few in hers. we have 2 hanging up, and a different amount in each one.

[surepip]

I have a row of finished traps hanging in the front eave of the garage and I believe all of them have some bees in them now.

The jar on my front porch trap is almost half full since it was emptied this time last week.

[Whoa Willie]

markdavd, on 06 April 2012 - 08:57 PM, said:

Once they get in the bottle they can't get out, so they eventually wear themselves out. In fact, the more bees in the bottom, the more bees you'll catch. I guess it's because they smell a dead bee and hope to 'steal' their tunnels.

A few weeks ago, I posted a link to the plans for these and Surepip said he used that to build the first one. Do y'all think I should ask a commission?

Can you post that link again or send it to me please.

[surepip]

Whoa Willie, on 10 April 2012 - 10:31 AM, said:

Can you post that link again or send it to me please.

Look for my topic concerning badminton rackets.

[Subby's Mower Repair]

Hey folks, I swung by surepip's place and picked up a couple of these. They are very cool, and work like a charm!!!

[ButterflyLion]

surepip, on 06 April 2012 - 10:46 PM, said:

Since she did not have to get a shot, they moved us up in line to check her out for her flea/tick/heartworm preventative, and got us on our way before she started a dog-riot.

Did they do a blood test to check that she was heartworm negative? Is the heartworm preventive the same type you get from the vet's? Is it any less expensive from the Humane Society? I have 3 dogs and give mine heartworm preventive every month---all year.

[surepip]

Subby, on 10 April 2012 - 02:35 PM, said:

Hey folks, I swung by surepip's place and picked up a couple of these. They are very cool, and work like a charm!!!

And it was nice seeing you Subby. Let me know about the mower repair and the Ryobi.

MyAngel, BlessedMom and Ksee4 still have to get theirs, leaving me with 3 remaining. Does anyone else want any ?

[deedoodle]

surepip, on 11 April 2012 - 09:38 AM, said:

And it was nice seeing you Subby. Let me know about the mower repair and the Ryobi.

MyAngel, BlessedMom and Ksee4 still have to get theirs, leaving me with 3 remaining. Does anyone else want any ?

[deedoodle]

I would love to get two from you, I sent you a pm.

Thanks