Carpenter Bee Season Is ALMOST Here,, My Traps,,

[sea2summit]

I have one trap in the barn, it has caught a half dozen of them but they seem to have gotten wise to it.
sea2summit: That's some precision shooting by the kids, I think I need some lessons from them.

These are the bodies I was given by 2.2 yesterday, she said she shot another one that was unrecoverable. Costs me enough to pay for the bodies so I maintain a pretty hard line on proof of deadness

 

[mcfarmall]

I built a few traps like yours with the pop bottle and one that uses a glass hot fudge topping jar with a metal lid. I drilled a hole in the center of the lid with a Unibit then attached the lid to the bottom of the trap with a couple of truss head sheet metal screws. After mounting the trap to the building I screw on the glass jar and watch it fill up. I have one on a sliding door of a metal pole barn and usually have to empty it twice a summer. They like to drill holes in the board that the track is mounted to.

I found that the pop bottle threads were so tight in the 1" hole that I would twist up the bottle screwing it in. I wonder if there is a tap available for pop bottle threads....

 

[ovrszd]

The drilled hole attracts the bee like a red light works at a house of ill repute,,,

Awesome analogy!!!!

 

[CADplans]

I wonder if there is a tap available for pop bottle threads....

Several of my trap builds were sized so tight, that I could not get the bottle to screw in,
even when I put the trap in a vise, and tried to use two hands to twist the bottle,,,

So, what I did was put a 1 inch threaded bolt in the wood block hole, then tap the bolt sideways,,,
That bolt would press in threads (8 threads per inch,, close enough to the bottle thread,,,) so that the bottle would screw in,,

That 1 inch bolt is a perfect pop bottle thread tap,,,

 

[psvfd]

I found that the pop bottle threads were so tight in the 1" hole that I would twist up the bottle screwing it in. I wonder if there is a tap available for pop bottle threads....[/QUOTE]

I thought about making a tap.

That 1 inch bolt is a perfect pop bottle thread tap,,, Good to know, never checked that.:confused3:

 

[gstrom99]

I'll have to try those. I didn't see any last year, but the prior years, they were bad!

 

[CADplans]

Today,, was the start,,
for almost a week, I have seen the bees flying around, but, avoiding the traps,,

But, today it started,, I noticed my first "catch" around noon,, it was still alive,, and it looked MAD!!

By 5PM, I had two more in a different trap,,

At least three the first day,, I am good with that!! :thumbsup:

 

[Diggin It]

Part of my shed project meant demolishing sections of the old shed that had been infested with these. The removed wood has been laying on the ground for several weeks. Couple of days ago, I started moving that pile to the burn area and removing a few nails that remained. As I was pounding and banging on a couple of pieces, they started buzzing. It wasn't long before they started appearing trying to get out having been awakened rather rudely.

Still don't get the trap notion though. If they can get in, why can't they get back out?

 

[CADplans]

Still don't get the trap notion though. If they can get in, why can't they get back out?

Look at the pic, it kinda shows why they can not get out,,
The carpenter bee has a large body as compared to its wings,,
it can not take off by hover flight like a helicopter, it needs a running start like a B29 bomber,,

If it does get up, it can not fit back through the slippery hole with its wings extended, and beating away,,

CAUGHT,,,

 

[Diggin It]

Ida Know. I've seen 'em walk, so ....

I've got a couple of bottles with steeper necks. Maybe I'll try one of those.