Carpenter Bees?

[OBXPilgrim]

Well, a little off topic - not exactly a CB load.

I read someones' instuctions about making shot loads for 44 Mag & I remember seeing an old friend years ago make shot loads for 45 ACP using the RCBS form dies, #12 shot, a .311 ball, & 410 shotshells. I decided I needed something with a little 'reach' for killing carpenter bees around the house. I did not want to blow holes in my gutters or do any other damage or even give the neighbors any reason to complain. To be easy to load, I thought I'd stick with using my S&W 625 Revolver (Model of 1989 4")

At first, I thought I'd get by with using a 45 acp case, drill out the primer hole to keep the primer from backing out, seat a styrofoam "wad" against the bottom of the inside of the case, fill the case with bird SEED, seat a styrofoam wad on top & go hunting.

My tests showed the bird seed would cut paper at 10 feet, but the pattern went wild. Seed was too light and too large in diameter - not enough of it. Then, I thought about the walnut hull media I use for tumbling brass cases. What I use, thanks to someone here for the tip, is Walnut Litter for bird cages. It's crushed walnut hulls, a little smaller diameter than I usually used, but works great for cleaning brass even though it isn't treated with a media polish coating. That worked much better, but still didn't give me the volume of hits I wanted on the target (It did work on some bees that got too close during testing though).

I kept looking at the 45 acp shells sitting in the cylinder and all the unused space between the top of the case and the end of the cylinder - looked like it was only 1/2 full (or empty for you pessimists).

Well, .45 acp is about the same as .30-06/.308/.243/.270 on the case head. Grabbed a couple old military .30-06 cases and after measuring the cylinder length again, cut them off at 1.610-1.650" with a tubing cutter. After flaring the mouths of the brass back out straight, I trimmed them to 1.600" (the length of my cylinder). Looking through my loading manuals, it looked like the .44 mag case OD was about the size of my chamber throats in the 625 cylinder, so I ran the '06 brass into the 44 mag sizer die just enough to get the OD of the brass at the case headspace step in the cylinder to drop in. It kind of looks like an oversize 44-40 without a rim.

Next step was to drill out the primer hole to stop the primer set-back.

The styrofoam wads I used were from the packing plate the you buy steaks on from the grocery store. The styrofoam that the t-bone steaks & ny strips comes on works best [smilie=1: I cut the wads using a 45-70 case that was sharpened on the edge and a couple teeth filed into it. Turning it backwards from my intended cutting style works much better.

Packing a wad into the bottom of the case , a full case of walnut 'litter' and a wad on top, worked ok, and was very quiet, but wouldn't even break surface of the paper at 15 feet. I tried 1.0 gr of W231, and it got it back into the killing power range.

I've dusted about 4 of the little jokers so far, and it won't hurt the gutters or any of the woodwork.

Can't tell of any damage to the rifling in the barrel, but I'd be sure to use the UNTREATED walnut hulls/media. Also, I haven't tried any more powder than 1.0gr of W231 because of two things - the drilled out primer holes & the roughly formed step to clear the chamber edges in the cylinders. I guess if you had an old Colt 1917, you'd be home free - they were straight cut cylinders with no headspace shoulder in the cylinder - Smiths did - you can use 45 acp without the star clip with a Smith.

Hope that helps someone - have fun - happy hunting - keep out the 'wood-cutting-bees' from you house.

[Ricochet]

That's a smart idea for making .45 shot shells!

Lots of 7.62 NATO brass gets left on the range where I shoot. Good starting material for those.

[quasi]

7.62 nato cases make great free 460 Rowland/45-08 cases. Lots of work though!

[PatMarlin]

Whoa-

This is a subject close to my heart. We bought a fixer upper last year, and this is the first time I have ever seen carpenter bees.

They are some dustructive little devils. They bored through beam to beam, and rafter end through stud end and made swiss cheese out of a shed up there.

Now they're into the side fascia rafter on the house.. :Fire:

[beagle]

Sounds good. Have to try that. I have a good population in the barn and that sounds like "sport" to me./beagle

[Wicky]

OBXPilgrim-magic idea - I have a couple of hundred spare 308 cases so a couple can be sacrificed to give this a try. A good job for today instead of moving furniture!!

Thanks for the ideas.

[BCB]

Yep, I have them at my shooting bench and they have holes all through the roof joist. I have shot them with #12 shot, but you must be VERY careful not to shoot holes in the roof that covers my shooting bench! I had to wait for them to be at an angle so the shot went past the roof—very tricky! Now I will try the walnut media. I made a Styrofoam cutter (I am using styrofoam picnic plates) from a 7mm Remington Magnum case. Cut it off, annealed the end, sized it in a 45 LC die, neck expanded, and then used and RCBS case mouth chamfer tool and sharpened it. I also drilled-out the primer pocket with a 1/4" bit so I could punch the styrofoam disks out. Works great. I will load a few up later and head to the bench tomorrow. It does seem sort of like a sport!...BCB

[Lead melter]

I started making these years ago to shoot grasshoppers and such. To me, my method seems a little easier.

Drill the flash hole of one case large enough to accept a #6 mail [point dulled].

Chamfer the case mouth to a sharp edge as it will be made into a "cookie cutter".

Use the cookie cutter to stamp out cardboard wads. You will need at least 2 wads per cartridge.

Resize and prime any straight walled pistol cartridge, add powder, [I use 6 grains Win 231 in 44 mag, 41 mag, or 45 Colt], insert a cardboard wad atop the powder with a pencil, making sure to seat the wad against the powder.

Add #9 shot to about 1/8" from the case mouth, then seat another wad atop the powder.

Crimp with a standard roll crimp die and add wax as a sealer if you desire.

I have never made these for 38/357 so I can't say what the powder charge would be.

These work wonders on rats, snakes, insects, and so forth. The drawback is the soft lead shot will REALLY lead up a barrel, so be sure to give it an extensive cleaning after a cylinder full.

[Mumblypeg]

I used to make shot shells for 45acp like that too, then along came Speer shot shells...
About those bees. It's a rite of spring around here but I use a BB gun, Red Rider to be exact, BB's are alot cheaper than primers. I shoot them out of the air. They just can't stand a shot to the head. takes the meaness out of em. The first time I told my wife what I was going to do she said "Yea, right". I showed her, wacked one one of them suckers on the fly. Well then you know she had to try it too so once she figgered it out the competition was on. Then some friends came over... well you know the rest of the story, it really caught on. It'll make you a better shot and you'll learn to watch your shots so as not to hit the windows, cars,dogs and other things you don't want holes or dents in. The dog even gets in on it, she gets the ones close to the ground although she doesn't use a BB gun. Lots of fun but now I'm wondering if we should kill them. We might need them to pollenate the crops with what's going on with the honey bees. Oh well... they are pretty tough critters, they will bore into treated lumber and the heart of red ceader. Termites won't mess with that stuff.

[Dark Helmet]

All that is too easy, just swat them down to the ground with the palm of your hand and stomp'em before they can fly away!:mrgreen:

[Baron von Trollwhack]

This has got me inspired to take action against the bee menace threatening to to chew my casting palace to a pile of .358 holes. I'm loading up my equalizer with GRITS! will report soon. BvT

[Scrounger]

I wonder if dried coffee grounds would work instead of shot?

[madcaster]

An old tennis raquet works wonders,but not so "scientifically" and CB related correct-which is MUCH more important than being politically correct!:coffee:

[encoreman]

It is so nice to know that there are "rednecks" all around the globe. We have had a chimney sweep problem at work and I ran across an old box of 22 bird shot. Took my trusty Hi-Standard revolver and shot 2 on the fly. Had to be careful not to shoot out the lights. Now I can claim to be a paid hunter, cause I did it on the job. LOL Mac

[DLCTEX]

To keep birds from nesting in unwanted places I just hang up a stuffed toy, we have a raccon one, and after a few trips the birds decide that the place is unsafe. DALE

[kjg]

I too hate them things what i did was useing .38 bras not drilling out flash holes,but 1/2 grain bullseye a card wad punched out of a cereal box and #12 shot and another cereal box wad and slight crimp, it raised hell on them at real close range, another method I've found what really helps in my shooting ability is my daughters red ryder, after a whole tube of bb's my daughter and I can wak'em, for every one we take we miss 30x, great father and daughter team sport hehehehe, hey she's only 8. kjg

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I use a badminton racket. They're lighter and faster than a tennis racket. My tractor shed's beams, rafters and purlins are pockmarked with those darn 3/8" holes, and my equipment covered in sawdust. I'm waiting for something to fall down.:(
Morgan

[sav300]

What in hell is a bloody carpenter bees???
Pictures please.
Lionel

[Mumblypeg]

Well mate, I'm not a entomologist but a carpenter bee is like a Bumble Bee(hope you know what that is?), black and yellow, about the size of your first joint on your index finger. He bores in to wood to lay eggs. In doing so they will start at the surface, go in about half to three quarters of an inch turn 90 degrees and follow the grain of the wood then travel another 6 to 12 inches and lay eggs. Now this hole that he made is about 3/8 of an inch in diameter, so you can understand what that does to the structual integrity of your board, shovel handel,post or house. And when they start sometimes there many of these holes all over your building. All that boring also leaves little piles of sawdust everywhere. They will just eat your house up. And that is why we wack em and stack em!

[Mumblypeg]

Oh, sorry I don't have a picture right now but someone will get you one.

[JSnover]

I caught one in the act last summer. Looked a fat bumblebee. Never heard of them before then, I just called it "what the hell is this??" He was off to a good start; the hole was as big around as my little finger and almost 1/4" deep.
A squirt of carburator cleaner did him in.

[Scrounger]

Here's some pictures from Google. Apparently like humans, they come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Good rule, If it flies, kill it.

[rockrat]

Instead of '06 brass, could you use 444marlin brass? Its my understanding that it is nothing but a rimmed '06

[schutzen]

One thing I've found effective is to spray the holes with pesticide. I adjust my pressure sprayer to a straight stream and insert the wand in the hole. Give it a good squirt of Malathion and the carpenter bees are looking for a new area.

Now out to the reloading bench to make up some shot shells for the flyers.

[StrawHat]

I have used a variety of cartridges to try to get them down to a controllable level.

Lately, I have used one of the large paint stir sticks from Sherwin & Williams (the other S&W).

Whack them out of the air and my malamutt thinks they are treats. He used to snap them out of the air but at 14 he is slowing down. I don't mind helping him and it is kind of fun.

Previously used a Ballard in 32 Long with blanks but had it reworked to 22 WCF and we now have neighbors on both sides AND in front AND behind.

[10-x]

This just goes to show anything can and will come up for discussion here!
When I was a kid we used to find old fence boards and make kind of a paddle out of them to "bat" the carpenter bees with. These varmits can and will eat any wood. Remember hearing them chewing their nests in the barn.
Later on we tried .22 rat shot, worked real good just had to be careful what was behind the bee, like not to shoot the tractor!:Fire:

[PatMarlin]

We got the ones in the lower- righthand corner of Art's pic.

Don't have them at the 40th paralell. Only farther north, close to the Oregon border.

[Mumblypeg]

Yep that's a good line- up. That's "Him" in the lower right! I would recognize him anywhere! If it flys, it dies...

[OBXPilgrim]

Whoa! Got alot more response out of this than I expected. But, I figured I wasn't the only one that was pestered by the little jokers.

The lower right corner photo in scroungers post is my main target as well.

I've hit them with shoes, plastic bats, tennis rackets, towels, pellet pistol shots, etc, but this is definetly more fun.

With the current 1.0gr it's as quite as my pellet rifle. But much easier to hit 'em.

[Linstrum]

For descriptive article and more photos see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee

Like Scrounger says carpenter bees come in several "flavors", in different parts of North America I have seen black and yellow, black, metallic blue, metallic green, and reddish bronze. The article in Wikipedia uses a lot of scientific words but the pictures are great.

Like a lot of the bee/wasp family members, they attack the face and eyes when disturbed.

I use a barrel full of corn meal in a Benjamin air pistol for flies in the house, it is great practice for keeping good hand eye coordination in my old age. It does require cleanup, though, corn meal all over the floor doesn't look so good, glad I'm not married anymore.

[PatMarlin]

I've never seen them- from S Cal all the way up to the north state.

Our fixer is about 30 miles from the Oregon border at about 1500' in elevation. They sure to thrive there though... :shock:

[bc3660]

here you go. Pic of both bumbel bee and carpenter bee

[ridurall]

I am an Entmoligist and have been killing bugs for over 30 years. Carpenter bees look much like bumble bees and bore hole in wood and lay eggs in that hole. They can be pesky when defending the hole. When they law the eggs they first eggs in hatch last. They put some pollen in the hole for the larva to feed on once they hatch. One thing that works well is taking some permethrin and mixing it with an oil stain. Painting the wood with that will stop the carpenterbees but it's not as much fun as shooting them. :Fire:

[Lee]

Oh the mind is swirling with streaming rivulets of .............

Now I've got several ounces of various smokeless floor sweepings collected over the past several years. I was always planning on a big 4th of July firecracker, but now this thread turned on a dim light in the back of my mind.

Pushing a few grains of walnut/corncob/kitty litter/whatever from a styrofoam crimped straight wall cartridge probably could not result in an overpressure situation if one used 1-2 grains of floor sweepings as a propellant now could it???( Now come on, don't tell me you guys don't all have a jar of black floor sweepings lying around, do you??)
Now I'm not asking for an endorsement here, just thinking out loud if this could be an outlet for scrap powders used to harass the carpenter bees. (And yes I'm asking because I have them out the ying-yang. Tennis rackets, carburetor cleaner, Raid, etc have only a temporary effect on the little Bas*****. They keep sending their cousins out to visit..............Lee;-)

[Down South]

They give me fits here. I use what I call my bee bat mostly, a 4" wide board about 3' long with a handle carved on the end. I've shot em flying with a 12 gauge and with my judge and have put a .25 bounty on them too. That was for the grandkids. It sure is funny to watch the kids running around with paddles trying to knock em down.

[Wandering Man]

Carpenter Bees invaded the cedar siding of a little shed in my back yard a couple of years ago.

I spent all summer fighting them, though I never considered trying to shoot the things.

I batted at them. :Fire:

I filled their holes with Malathion.

I filled their holes with Malathion and topped it with wood putty. :twisted:

I spent a good $100 at the local hardware store on pesticides. :confused:

When I noticed that they were starting to attack the main house, I finally called an exterminator.

For $30 he came out and sprayed the holes in the shed and in the house. He sprayed the rest of the house for roaches and ants (a bonus).

The bees are gone now. :drinks:

As much fun as it is to try to deal with the critters yourself, if you really wanna get rid of 'em, just call a professional ... its cheaper that way.

WM

[beanflip]

Has anyone ever tried using the DAWN DISH SOAP blue in color in a sprayer. It kills all kind of creepy crawlers, flying things and the box elder bugs that I fight every year. I use an end of the hose sprayer. Use 50/50 soap water mix in a hose sprayer its safe for all and cheap. Remember use the blue color.

[chickenstripe]

The holes are destructive, but in my neck of the woods, the woodpeckers go after them. They create a hole in the side of the beam that looks like an exit hole from a varmint round.:roll:

[beemer]

I bought several boxes of the Winchester ratshot. A lounge chair, a 22 rifle and a cold Bud ah ah I mean Coke usually takes care of them.

beemer

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Warning! warning! There is a bee in eastern NC that resembles the big fat CBs we have locally but it is in 1/2 scale. It does not drill holes but does nest in rough buildings if there is an entrance crack, like in my reloading palace/skinning shed. It is a mean one and defends its nest for about 20 yards if disturbed. It also posts a guard bee close to the nest entrance to give the alarm and then it will attack and sting you. Even with the jet stream wasp spray shooting 20+ feet it is hard to blast the nest entrance crack without taking a couple of hits. BvT

[Bad Water Bill]

Try using W D 40. It will drop them on contact but not as much fun as :Fire: them BWN :castmine:

[JSnover]

Even with the jet stream wasp spray shooting 20+ feet it is hard to blast the nest entrance crack without taking a couple of hits. BvT

Try a can of carb cleaner, brake parts cleaner or starting fluid (make sure there are no[I] ignition sources!). Get whatever brand has the straw for the nozzle, it will tighten up your pattern. You'd be surprised at how accurate the stream can be and this stuff kills large/aggressive flying insects [I]right now if you score a solid hit.
And if you don't connect..... I guess it wouldn't be wrong to have a wheelgun full of BeeKiller loads for backup.

[Ricochet]

Hmmm, wonder what could be done with a 12 ga. 3" shell full of grits?

[ridurall]

Carpenter Bees invaded the cedar siding of a little shed in my back yard a couple of years ago.

I spent all summer fighting them, though I never considered trying to shoot the things.

I batted at them. :Fire:

I filled their holes with Malathion.

I filled their holes with Malathion and topped it with wood putty. :twisted:

I spent a good $100 at the local hardware store on pesticides. :confused:

When I noticed that they were starting to attack the main house, I finally called an exterminator.

For $30 he came out and sprayed the holes in the shed and in the house. He sprayed the rest of the house for roaches and ants (a bonus).

The bees are gone now. :drinks:

As much fun as it is to try to deal with the critters yourself, if you really wanna get rid of 'em, just call a professional ... its cheaper that way.

WM

I kill bugs for a living and for $30 it was either a long time ago or he was a good friend. Either that or you got one great deal. At the price of diesel I'd go broke real quick pricing my work that cheaply. I make sure I do good jobs and was low bid (only bid) on doing the Habitat for Humanity houses pretreat for termites. I guess one reason is I work with the planner and helped him write the specks so a cheap pest control person couldn't cheat on the pretreat and just spray water on the job. I used to do them for free but it was about to put me out of business. I just want a level playing field. I'm glad the $30 deal worked out for you.

[Wandering Man]

I kill bugs for a living and for $30 it was either a long time ago or he was a good friend. Either that or you got one great deal. At the price of diesel I'd go broke real quick pricing my work that cheaply. I make sure I do good jobs and was low bid (only bid) on doing the Habitat for Humanity houses pretreat for termites. I guess one reason is I work with the planner and helped him write the specks so a cheap pest control person couldn't cheat on the pretreat and just spray water on the job. I used to do them for free but it was about to put me out of business. I just want a level playing field. I'm glad the $30 deal worked out for you.

Not that long ago, but a couple of years. Enough years that gas/diesel wasn't killing everyone. Small house, small job? Or maybe because we have a yearly termite contract with the folks. Also, they come out and spray our oak trees for web worms every spring ... and that's a lot more than $30.


... and I still think you come out better in the long run hiring a professional, even it costs a bit more.

WM

[Charley]

I'm an entomologist (at least the Entomological Society of America says I am!). Just paint or clear coat the wood and you won't need to worry about them. Carpenter bees are easily differentiated from bumble bees, carpenter bees have a shiney abdoman (the back end) which reflects light, bumble bees have a hairy abdoman that doesn't reflect.
For $30, he was likely doing side work off the books, or using stolen or possibly ag products. I might slow down in front of your house for $30, but that's about all you'll get.

[OBXPilgrim]

Well, this would have saved me a bunch of time & "cypherin" (as Jethro Bodine would say):

http://www.surplusrifle.com/articles2008/frc_hippocketsnakegun/index.asp

Which i found in this thread: http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=30919

I guess there is absolutely nothing new on the web, just stuff that I haven't seen yet.

I guess it doesn't hurt a thing to bump up the powder charge some, or damage the ends of the chamber.

[pjh421]

Well now we have a reason to pick up Berdan-primed casings at the range. Permethrin and wood stain...great idea!

Paul

[bruce drake]

Here is a picture courtesy of Google Images. Nasty little bugger

Bruce

[LAcaster]

I'm glad to hear someone else shoots them little suckers out of the air with a BBgun my friends think I'm nuts but it works a direct hit leaves nothin but wings floatin down Ha Ha

[yondering]

It's dangerous and probably politically incorrect, but if you're very careful, and know what you're doing, you can kill them very quickly with gasoline. This works for all bees, spiders, etc.

Some gasoline in a weed sprayer does amazing things to them. If you "mist" it in the air, the bees that fly through the mist drop to the ground dead immediately. If you find wasp nests, this is the best way I've found to kill them all. I've watched incoming wasps drop dead before making it to the nest because of the gas fumes, other times they land on the nest and fall to the ground.
It's also cheaper than most pesticides (for now). Just make sure there are absolutely no ignition sources. And don't get it on any plants you like, gasoline kills most plants pretty quick too, way better than Roundup.

I do agree that shooting the bees would be more fun though.

[Uncle Grinch]

I'm glad to hear someone else shoots them little suckers out of the air with a BBgun my friends think I'm nuts but it works a direct hit leaves nothin but wings floatin down Ha Ha

LAcaster.... You really brought back some memories. Shooting carpenter bees with BB guns has always been a real thrill and need I say... challenge. Almost as much fun as shooting racehorse lizards with my trusty ole Daisy!

[NoDakJak]

Coarse Grits just might work very well at short distances. In the late seventies I owned a 450-400 3 1/4" Nitro Express. I formed cases but then they needed to be fire formed. I was working twelve hour days, six days a week and had very limited time. It was about 25 below zero with high winds and really bad ground blizards. After the first couple shots I didn't really want to step out and fire any more rounds. Soooo! I simply stepped out into the back porch, pointed the barrel up and pulled the trigger. I want to tell you now that a load of grits, corked with Ivory soap and backed with a healthy dose of 2400 is highly erosive to wafer board roof sheathing!!!!! That gives me ideas about using something similar in a little 410 single using 444 brass. Sure sounds like a great grasshopper load. I have a definete grudge against them as one hopped into my lead pot and presented me with asilver bracelet. I came close to loosing my hand to the resulting infection. Enjoy!!!! Neil

[725]

We shoot 'em with pellet rifles, .22 shot shells, & a Webley pellet pistol. Great fun.

[Heavy lead]

I realize some of you guys live in dry climates where this could cause a problem, but I kill all sorts of bees and wasps all the time with a torch. If they're flying around loose this works great, but if you happen to know where a hive is and you need to take em out, just wait until dusk or dawn and they're all tucked in and heat the hive up with a torch, burn them all down, just like a flamethrower. You'll get em all.

[Dark Helmet]

Problem, Yup- my grandparents home burnt down , doing it that way.