HOW TO RID YOUR HOME OF CARPENTER BEE'S

Carpenter bees are a nuisance. They bore into wooden decks, siding or any exposed woods around the home. The female carpenter bee chews tunnels into the wood, where she will make cells to lay her eggs. Control of CARPENTER BEE'S can be difficult and time-consuming because each individual tunnel must be treated. Although wood that has been newly painted is less likely to be attacked, painting does not make the wood immune to attack. Homeowners should try to control CARPENTER BEE'S whenever they are observed boring into decks or sliding. Dusting around the entrance to the tunnel with 5 percent Sevin dust is an effective control method. Sevin is an insecticide that is highly toxic to bees. The female CARPENTER BEE will come into contact with the insecticide when it enters the tunnel and die. However, do not plug the holes because there may be some eggs in the tunnels and the newly hatched CARPENTER BEE'S will unplug the holes when they emerge. After the newly hatched bees emerge the tunnels must be plugged or CARPENTER BEE'S may use them again next year.

I have found another way to get rid of CARPENTER BEE'S is to put a straw or something similar into the hole. Bee's can get out, however, they cannot get back in. I used this trick with a bored out pen lid on some wasps which were infesting a house I live in a number of years ago. After a few hours, I went back out and found a butt load of wasps hanging around the wall trying to find a way back in. So I sprayed them and all was well.

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CARPENTER BEE POPULATION SWELLS

REPAIRING POTHOLES and CRACKS in your DRIVEWAY

With winter and the freezing of the ground comes CRACKS AND POTHOLES. CRACKS in asphalt are a sign your DRIVEWAY or parking area is need of attention. A CRACK, often caused by changes in temperature and weather conditions, provides an opening for chemicals and water to work their way into the substrate of the ASPHALT allowing further deterioration beneath the surface. Although you cannot see the damage going on beneath the surface, it is, and eventually if left untreated will turn your small CRACKS into POTHOLES. This not only leads to a bigger expense when it comes time to SEAL, but decreases the life span of your paved area and in time will require RE-PAVING. Proper maintenance of an ASPHALT DRIVEWAY or PARKING LOT requires prompt repair of CRACKS.

There are different kinds of CRACKS. Single line CRACKS are the easiest to fix. A hairline CRACK, less than inches, does not need to be repaired separately but can be filled with SEALANT. A CRACK inch to 2 inches in size should be fixed with a special CRACK FILLER and sealer. Anything larger is actually considered a POT HOLE and should be treated as such. There are products on the market for PATCHING LARGE POTHOLES and I will get into those methods later..

Some CRACKED AREA's have a "chicken wire" pattern. These areas are more severe and indicate that the substrate has been damaged and is actually a POT HOLE. If the area has not begun to sink it will in time. These areas should probably be treated by a professional to ensure the substrate has been properly repaired.

If you decide to do the repair work yourself, take an inventory of the number and severity of the CRACKS. If they seem manageable have a go at it and start out small. It's a little more work than it first appears. If, however, you are uncertain, it may be helpful to contact your local Professional for an estimate. Incorrectly repaired CRACKS will often result in further deterioration of your DRIVEWAY.