Please join Angela at her Show and Tail Tuesday - where she hosts a day to talk about animals - our animals - others animals - tips - or trips about animals.
I guess technically bees are not animals - so I'm writing about insects.
Insects called carpenter bees. Who knew that some bees out there want wood and not honey?
Apparently we have some really great tasting word here in our yard.
The area is to the left of the front of the house and next to my bottle tree.
They can do a whole lot of damage. And they cause some strife here at home as well. Some men love to work on their homes - mine does not. He hates it.
So far all his retirement has been repairing the house - because and now try to figure this out - he procrastinated all the jobs on the house when he was working. There ended up to be at least 30 things to fix and some of them were huge -
This one was so so. Had to go to Home Depot and get some new wood. Cut it to size.
And then exchange the wood. Now I suggested that he spray something around there - but he didn't. How do you know that the bees won't come back to do it again I asked?
His job this week is cutting the acre of weeds he let grow into trees - instead of spraying it at the beginning of summer.
I think he really does like hard work. But you know - at least he's doing it and he really does an okay job.
Now with all the suggestions on my bottle tree - I searched diligently for tiny solar lights - and let me tell you that was not an easy feat. Then to put them on - for me - was no easy feat - I put them on and took them off a million times.
Okay it's a lousy picture I have to do a redo - but I added a butterfly at the base. I have an affinity to butterflies and this is keeping it in with insects and insects is what I am showing and tailing' about today - see how my mind deviates?
Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.
- Ray Kroc
Now you know who he is - founder of Chick Fil A - which serves chicken - an animal - heehee!
25 comments:
I don't think I have ever heard of Carpenter Bees....just ants.... I love your Bottle Tree....still haven't gotten mine yet....
OOh bees, but I really love the bottle tree.
Oh Sandie, I could write a post about the husband and his never ending battle with the carpenter bees. Their favorite spot is within his line of vision from his office. I can't count the number of time that I have heard him come THUNDERING down the stairs to attack them. He did have success with smothering them to death with silicon or something like that. Please don't tell PETA.
And don't get me started on the hungry squirrels who ate our front porch. Cayenne finally worked on them.
Termites? Nah. We're too busy with other critters.
we have carpenter bees in our garage/shed. eventually they'll do enough damage to warrant a re-do. but i'll hire someone to do it! :)
Oh my Sandie! Those carpenter bees sure did do a number on your porch! Glad your husband was able to fix it! I do remember having a few around here a few years ago but I'm not sure what we did to get rid of them. I think possibly he sprayed some bug spray in their hole and killed them away! hehehe
Tuesdays' Show & Tail!
Angela
Hi Sandie...Hope you have a nice day today. Your bottle tree came out great! Glad your hubs is helping fix things up around the house. Take care. Susan
We've had battles with carpenter bees...they are very destructive! I think your bottle tree is looking wonderful!!!
Oh yes bees can be destructive too. :( I fogot about your bottle tree it is looking good like the butterfly added to the bottom.. :) My DH is into building and says there is a great spray out there that you can coat your balcony/patio/porches with that helps deter wood loving insects....Debb
i did a post once and someone told me it was a carpenter bee and to watch out for them. that is the only one i have seen, so we must be safe, but we have to watch out for termites down here and every bug you can imagine, including bees of all kinds.
Of course, bees are animals, you silly woman ;-)
Maybe if you had some Carpenter Bees houses they would leave your building alone? I've heard of them being a problem and having to be removed..they are valuable pollinators, but giving up your house over it is a bit extreme! Maybe you can contact a bee removal team? Don't even know if that's possible with Carpenter bees since they do not nest in a hive but in little round tunnels.
Just be careful and don't get stung!
I haven't heard of carpenter bees either - eewww. Looks nice again when it's fixed. Really like your bottle tree - it's so cool! :) Just chillaxing after dinner here, hope you're enjoying your day!
I don't think we have carpenter's bees here, Sandie. At least I hope we don't... We have a wood house --so they would have a feast... Yipes!!!!
Love the bottle tree...
Hugs,
Betsy
We get carpenter bees too. Since we have a log home, we really have to stay on top of them. Nasty little things.
Now I know what you are talking about.....They are about to eat us alive here in the mountains.....They have attacked our house, and my art shed.....We've had to have so many boards replaced we can't even count how many.....We've done everything anyone has ever told us and they keep coming back.....I agree with you we must have good tasting wood......
If you find a solution, let me know....
Those buggers are here too, Kiddo! The Pres kills them with a badminton racket...just sits in his chair outside and swats, and swats. Yes...we are moving together...:)JP
If I say we've never had them, we'll get 'em. Tiptoeing outta here. :)
Your hubs did a nice job.
I have not heard of putting tiny lights on a bottle tree, very cool! I didn't know there are solar lights that tiny!! Your husband did a wonderful job on the railing, but won't the bees still be there and drill more holes?
I wouldn't know a carpenter bee from any other bee. Looks like they can do a lot of damage though. My deck is in such bad shape though, I doubt that I would mind....lol
So you put little solar lights in your bottles? I bet that looks pretty awesome at night.
Have never heard of Carpenter Bees! :( We did have big black Carpenter Ants colonize our old wooden front door when we first moved into our house in 1992. Nothing would kill those pesky things....UGH!
Now...did you hear me scream when the Grasshopper made it's way into my pants and then my face?
He's DEAD!
I win!
xoRebecca
Oh Bees are quote infamous for making trouble for us. My friend had honey bees behind their master bedroom wall. They would hear them at night buzzing about. They got a bee keeper and had to take the wall down They had photos. But boy did they have some great honey there too! I did not know bees loved woods. Reminds me of the Terminix commercials with the termite driving his car away from the house! Ha Ha! Men are never listening to women so I guess we should all know better! I do love your bottle tree! Sweet!
oh those bees, can't believe they did so much damage.
Your bottle tree is so pretty. I've always wanted to make one. I love the colors, specially when the light hits it.
Thanks for the welcome back, I'm happy to start blogging again.
I recognize the handy work of carpenter bees:) Your husband sounds like mine, letting the weeds grow into trees!
Ah, Mr. Chatty - gotta love him. He is trying hard, I think.
I once had a bee problem here - finally had to call The Bee Man (that literally was the name of his company!). Evidently they had found a place to get in under the roof. Do you know that I watched that man pull out three FULL hefty bags of honeycomb? It was fascinating. Then he siliconed the entrance point, and things were good again.
But, though the bees were an annoying (and a little dangerous) problem - I will never forget the intricacy of those honeycombs. Nature (read GOD) does some awesome stuff!!
Oh, I totally forgot - I have a thing for butterflies, too. On Monday I'm posting a story about why...
(Oooo - don't you just love a *teaser*???)
We have ground bees. They don't do any harm but who like walking through a swarm of bees to get into the house. So "checkbook man" my husband, pays an exterminator to make our yard into a "killing field" every spring ... and then we are free of bees until next spring.
We could cure it entirely if we wanted to dig up our yard and throw away the top 18 inches and put down new dirt!
We pay an exterminator.
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