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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Ant Problems? A chemical free way to get rid of ants

Are You Losing Your Home To Ants?
By Bradlley Mckoy

Ants - red, black, winged, un-winged, big, and small are all pests. They march silently into your home and garden and wreck havoc, eating into your clothes and even your furniture. They are merciless.

Ants Driving You Antsy?

Ants can destroy anybody s mood, whether you re raving mad or feeling romantic. The moment they sting, you freeze and itch. When they raid the pantry, the books, and the clothes, you can curse yourself to the next county, but they will stay unless you take up arms against these tiny pests.

Just when you re enjoying your carrots coated with roasted garlic, they come in swarms to the picnic basket. These pests can really destroy the mood for a carefree afternoon picnic in the park. And when they invade the home, prepare for the havoc they can wreck. One way you can get them out is keeping all food scraps and trash bins far from the house.

But if it is still not enough, time to boil those red hot chili peppers and pour this over the ant mounds. With ants as enemies, you ve got to practice Kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese word that means a gradual, orderly effort towards continuous improvement. In the case of ants, it s the improvement of your artillery to wipe out the pest from your home.

Red Hot Chili Peppers?

With the profusion of chemicals and pesticides, its better to go natural to rid the pests to kingdom come. Here s what you ll need:

1. an old kettle that can hold a gallon of water
2. 3 cups fresh or dried chili peppers
3. a pair of long gloves
4. eye protection
5. Syringe (2)

You can boil more than 1 gallon, if you think you need more ammunition. It s always handy to have an extra gallon around when you attack the ant mounds. Don t attempt to go near the steam and keep children out of the way. When you re ready, deck yourself out with a pair of long gloves and as much as possible avoid contact with the water. In case you accidentally do have contact, be ready to prepare a glass of cold milk to rub over the affected skin area.

Find the ant hill or mound, or look in the garden. They may be hiding under a rock. Don t disturb the peace until you have boiled the water together with the chili. With a syringe, extract the chili-infused water and inject into all openings in the ant mound. Destroy the ant mound, but be ready with your “hot” water. Expect pandemonium, so be prepared with enough hot water to flood the disturbed mound.

Regular dousing will send the ants packing, or greatly reduce their numbers. You can also use the same concoction for aphids and other plant pests. For this, reduce the number of chili to 2 cups. Share the recipe with your neighbors to prevent the return of the pests.