Wood and insects. WTF is this?

[HarleyDog]

(06-07-2017, 07:54 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: Without a doubt it is from a female carpenter bee.

As someone who owns a home on a very wooded lot, I've tangled with them about a hundred times.

Some background on what has transpired:  The female bores a nest directly into the wood to reproduce.  The entrance goes in, then turns 90 degrees and bores a long tunnel.  If the entrance is horizontal, then the tunnel will be vertical and uphill.  If the entrance is vertical, it will be from the underside of the wood, then will turn to horizontal.  Once the bee has completed the tunnel, it will leave the first offspring (I don't know if it is an egg or larvae or whaterver), then walls it off.  It "births" the next, then walls it off.  This continues until there are no more eggs/larvae/offspring.  Once the baby bees are ready to emerge, they will eat the walls and exit the tunnel and venture off into the world, although it probably won't be all that far away.

Because of the 90 turn and then the walls between the baby bees, it is very difficult to kill them off unless you act fast.  Ideally you need to get the female bee while she is in the tunnel and before she lays/births the first one.  I use Terro Spider killer.  It comes with a straw like WD40, allowing me to flex it around the 90 turn and shoot into the tunnel.  Knock on the wood a few times, and if momma bee is in there, you will hear it buzzing.  Shoot in the pesticide, and within a few moments you will see it crawl back out and fall to the ground.  If you miss the window of getting momma bee, chances are you won't kill the offspring unless you time it perfectly to them emerging.  Hopefully you get momma bee, because if she leaves the offspring in there, there is a chance a woodpecker will rip open the tunnel and feast on them.

DEFINITELY fill the hole with caulk or putty afterwards to prevent another bee from re-using it.  For the record, the female can sting you, but you have a better chance of winning the lottery.  If there is a male around, he will buzz you left and right to try and scare you off.  Jokes on him, as we humans know that male carpenter bees don't have stingers!  You'll recognize the male from the female as the male has a big spot on its face.

Good luck!

How big is the window?