Uhh... What drilled a hole my deck?

CoconutPete

I found this on my deck today....the sawdust is fresh. Whatever happened, it just happened.

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sixeightten

Carpenter Bee?

DrumBum

i agree...probably a carpenter bee. they chew holes in wood to lay eggs.

joecaption

It's called a boring bee. Shoot some wasp killer in the hole after dark when they should be inside and plug it with caulking.
If you want to prevent them get yourself some Bora Care (Google it)

sixeightten

We have worked in areas where they were busy munching on occasion. The sawdust literally can be seen falling. They are fast workers.

CoconutPete

Shot some hornet/wasp killer into the hole tonight. I'll check it out tomorrow and caulk up the hole. Thanks for the info.

sdsester

And the symmetry of the holes they "drill" is amazing when you think about it.

And carpenter bees are very aggressive and get confused with bumblebees. I guess they can sting but I have encountered them on many occasions in rather large numbers and have never been stung. Even speaking the language of the devil and swatting at the little "MFBuzzers" and so forth.

They must have some purpose in the ecosystem but I have never explored what it might be. I am just not that into bugs and entomology. As you can see, they can do a lot of damage, just to lay eggs, in timber and wood.

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sdsester

Boron is actually a great idea to put in the hole before you caulk it shut. I buy it from Abatron. It is a mineral that is harmless to animals and humans but it has razer sharp edges if you look at it under a microscope. It gets into the legs of insects and literally slices them to pieces. Diatameceous (sp?) earth used in swimming pool filters to polish pool water will serve the same purpose. If you are old enough you may remember your grandmother polishing the surfaces of your grandfather's shirt with 20 mule team Borax--brand named boron by any other name.

When I renovated homes and gutted walls, I always left a coating of Boron behind. It would never stop insect infestation of those people who slaughtered their own cattle in a new kitchen but it would keep populations of bugs down so the exterminator bills would never be outrageous.

Do be careful! Remember less is more. Boron is one of few things that will actually kill off Creeping Charlie in lawns and gardens. It is now banned in many states because people are, including me, idiots at times. Less really is more but we all tend to think at times that immediate gratification comes with using chemicals at twice or more the recommended amounts.

Boron can render soil completely sterile for a long, long time. Watch and consider any runoff from your applications of it.

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Tom Struble

one in action

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kwikfishron

It looks like CVG Fir, no wonder they picked your place.

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CoconutPete

It's Cedar! It's on the shady side so it looks like crap, I have to re-treat it, but you know how it is with a 5-week old in the house...

Is it possible to buy a smaller amount than a gallon at 140 bucks a pop of Boron? That Abatron place only has that size.

vln

20 mule team borax should be sold in any supermarket or wally world.

sdsester

I forget the name of the stuff but it is sold for cockroaches and such. It comes in a large yellow squeeze bottle and is not expensive at all. The primary ingredient in it is boron/borax. I realize I am only giving you clues but will try to remember the name.

Another option? Diatemaceous (sp?) earth used in many swimming pool filters has the same or very similar effect on insects as boron. Is there anybody with a pool near you that will give you a scoop. You can buy an empty ketchup squeeze bottle to squirt it in the holes. If you have to, a full bag of the material should not be too much. (He says not having to deal with a pool in a long time!).

In addition to the liquid you found, I thought Abatron sold a powder you could use as is or mix into a liquid suspension.

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joecaption

Roach Away, 95% boric acid.
Any Wal-Mart. Lowes and HD have it.

sdsester

Found stuff similar to this doing a "roach powder" google search. $5-10 range. Bottle looks a bit different than I remember but same idea.

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