# Wasps and Carpenter Bees



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Carpenter bees do not sting people unless direly provoked (like other bees). So you don't have to worry about that. They do, eventually, eat your barn. My unpainted barn and garage were a merry hive when we moved in. Turns out what they do not like is PAINT. Paint your barn, and keep it painted, and your bees will not return to those places. 

You know people actually make nests for carpenter (and other) bees, as they are native pollinators and are extremely valuable and getting scarcer all the time. 

Wasps, of course, do sting, although paper wasps, the kind that build those gray paper nests in trees and such, are quite mild-tempered in my experience. I often find them in my door jambs and windows but I never disturb them and they do not bother me either. 

Ground wasps aka yellowjackets, are a whole nother story, they are hell creatures. We hates them! Almost killed my dog once.


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## BethR (Feb 17, 2021)

Wasps are aggressive and should probably be sprayed if they’re in a place you frequent. But PLEASE leave the bees alone! I made my living as a gardener and have never once been stung by a bee though I’ve been stung by plenty of wasps. I actually pet the bumblebees. Bess are man’s best friend; they pollinate the vast majority of the food we eat and again..,they are not aggressive!🐝


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

@Avna said “You know people actually make nests for carpenter (and other) bees, as they are native pollinators and are extremely valuable and getting scarcer all the time. “

^^^^^That‘s because they are in my barn I keep telling them to go over to the neighboring horse property but they keep coming back.

They are also smart —- they know how high I can reach with tennis racket and fly above it. 🙄

I’ve given up. My hope is the rafters hold out until my last horse is put to rest, then I don’t care what happens to the barn - it‘s a 2003 pole barn so no historical value like your barn, Avna.

I also don’t have issues with the red wasps until Fall. We have a deal to live and let live unless they sting Rusty in the butt. The last few years they have been making their nests in the barn ceiling instead of behind the kickboards.

Do NOT kill the Blue Mud Dauber Wasps if you have them. They have hit me in the face and never stung me - never. They are also one of the things that can kill Black Widows - a surprise as they are so friendly.

Last year I saw quite a few Mud Dauber nests and zero Black Widows. I know my barn is not Black Widow free but, as long as they stay behind the kickboards and the cupboards, we will get along fine.


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## BethR (Feb 17, 2021)

Avna said:


> Carpenter bees do not sting people unless direly provoked (like other bees). So you don't have to worry about that. They do, eventually, eat your barn. My unpainted barn and garage were a merry hive when we moved in. Turns out what they do not like is PAINT. Paint your barn, and keep it painted, and your bees will not return to those places.
> 
> You know people actually make nests for carpenter (and other) bees, as they are native pollinators and are extremely valuable and getting scarcer all the time.
> 
> ...


I couldn’t agree more about Yellowjackets! Once my work partner and I unwittingly dug into a nest of them....,we had to run to the back of our client’s house and rip our clothes off! We were both stung about 20 times...good. Thing we weren’t allergic 😐


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Carpenter bees won't bother anyone, they might bounce off you, though. Only problem with them is eating your wood buildings.

Paper wasps usually don't bother people. Even when I came up to a nest 3ft away once. I didn't know they were there, several of them rushed over and circled me. I froze, as I was on a ladder. Luckily, freezing and not touching their nest or moving towards it must of meant I was okay and they left me alone. I very slowly climbed back down. 
There's at least two types in my barn. One ignores me, the others stare me down...
I knock their nests down on cold nights or use a 10+ foot pole. They won't do anything on cold nights, on warm ones, if you're far enough away, they won't come after you for it.

I also have mud wasps. They're my favorite. They make long mud tunnels on walls. They will investigate your face way too closely, so just freeze and wait for them to realize that you are not their house. 

I've never dealt with yellowjackets, other than seeing them drink from my pond. Can only hope I never accidentally disturb their nest...


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

I made wood bee traps and have hung them at the entrances to the barn inside the doors. They contain no bait or poison. They are simple to make and look like a bird house. On the sides drill 1/2" holes angling upward at a 45* angle. In the bottom drill a 1 1/2" hole. Take a canning jar and remove the center of the lid and nail the ring on with 4 brads. The jar will then be removable. Fill the jar half full of water. The bees go in the side holes see the light at the bottom and go down in the jar and water and drown. It will need to be emptied a couple times a week in peak season. No worries about poison the with any other animals. I also hang two near our deck at the house to catch those by the house.


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## BethR (Feb 17, 2021)

ksbowman said:


> I made wood bee traps and have hung them at the entrances to the barn inside the doors. They contain no bait or poison. They are simple to make and look like a bird house. On the sides drill 1/2" holes angling upward at a 45* angle. In the bottom drill a 1 1/2" hole. Take a canning jar and remove the center of the lid and nail the ring on with 4 brads. The jar will then be removable. Fill the jar half full of water. The bees go in the side holes see the light at the bottom and go down in the jar and water and drown. It will need to be emptied a couple times a week in peak season. No worries about poison the with any other animals. I also hang two near our deck at the house to catch those by the house.
> View attachment 1110231


It breaks my heart that anyone would intentionally drown bees; they’re in enough trouble as it is 😢


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

BethR said:


> It breaks my heart that anyone would intentionally drown bees; they’re in enough trouble as it is 😢


These are not honey bees, these are destructive bees that drill holes in the wood in your barn. Very similar to what termites do to your home. They damage the structural strength of the wood. 
I have 8 honey bee hives on our farm and these traps do not effect them in any way.


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## BethR (Feb 17, 2021)

ksbowman said:


> These are not honey bees, these are destructive bees that drill holes in the wood in your barn. Very similar to what termites do to your home. They damage the structural strength of the wood.
> I have 8 honey bee hives on our farm and these traps do not effect them in any way.


ALL bees are pollinators; we need them because honeybees are more at risk than other species.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

BethR said:


> ALL bees are pollinators; we need them because honeybees are more at risk than other species.


In addition, honeybees are not native (to North America) and don't pollinate all of our native plants. There are _lots_ of niche pollinators, bees and others, that are necessary for the full variety of plants to reproduce successfully. And a _lot_ of them are in trouble, declining, threatened, or endangered.


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