Wood Bees

[Joanna]

Wood bees. I have lost the knack of catching them in the act, but evidence of them is starting to really get on my nerves! I swat them with a tennis racket when I see them, and I know to fill their holes with caulk when I find them around the house. But these are up in the rafters of a car-port where I can't reach. Anyone have any deterrent ideas?

[Diane Amberg]

First you get a ladder.   Al uses white grease or caulk, or if you wait until after dusk you can spray insecticide back inside the holes and catch them inside. lights out bees.  Supposedly they won't drill painted wood, but... Next! There will be many more answers to follow I'm sure. 

[Dee Gee]

What I hear is if you spread some Cedar shavings/chips around the area the wood bees will leave.

[Diane Amberg]

Certainly you could try it, but I have a big cedar drift wood root hanging out on my deck for decoration.They drilled it.

[Wilma]

Badminton raquets and grandchildren worked fine for my father.

[jarhead]

I been pinging them puppies for years with a badminton raquet but now have been told that with the lack of honey bees in the area that the wood bees do most of the pollinating in the gardens. So now it's do I want lots of tomatoes or a carport that looks like swiss cheese. Steve, is it true the wood bees pollinate the gardens ?

[Diane Amberg]

Yes, now Steve can elaborate.

[Wilma]

I don't know about wood bees, but I have some bees bigger than honey bees working my flowers.  I know they aren't bumble bees or wood bees.

[Diane Amberg]

Might they be miner bees? Ground dwellers but not usually aggressive about stinging. We have them here too.

[Varmit]

But these are up in the rafters of a car-port where I can't reach. Anyone have any deterrent ideas?

Just get rid of the carport, VIOLA, no more bees in the rafters