[Image: Carpenter Bees]Carpenter Bees Buzzing
If you have been enjoying the nice weather that we have had lately, you may also have seen a bee buzzing around your home or shed. It possibly could be a bumblebee, but most likely it's a carpenter bee.
They are beginning to show up all over now. They are often called the living drill because they drill a perfectly round hole about the size of a dime to lay and raise their young.
They drill in eaves of houses and barns, lawn furniture, wooden gym sets, fences and many other wood products. Yes, they can cause structural damage.
The adult carpenter bee has a fuzzy yellow thorax and a shiny black abdomen. The bumblebees have a band of yellow hairs on both the thorax and abdomen. Bumblebees tend to be aggressive and sting, while carpenter bees are less aggressive and seldom sting unless caught in clothing, hair or the hands.
Carpenter bees overwinter in old tunnels. They are beginning to mate and will soon start drilling to rear their young.
Control Methods – Carpenter bees prefer to attack wood which is bare, weathered and unpainted. Painting the wood is a good control, but in heavy infestations, they will get into painted areas.
If you just see a few holes where they have begun, apply an insecticide with liquid soap directly in the hole in early evening. A preventive treatment can be made by using a borate formulation (Tim-bor or Bora-Care) on existing structures and/or using borate pressure-treated wood when building or replacing damaged wood. If you only have a few holes in the wood, after treating, plug the entrance hole with a piece of wooden dowel coated with carpenter glue or fill it with wood putty.
They will be buzzing around for the next month, so keep an eye on them.
Termites Beginning to Swarm
Insects are the topics for this month. We are starting to get calls and samples about flying insects around the home. These insects may be termite swarmers. Swarmers themselves do not cause damage to structures. Their offspring are responsible for this. If you find a few swarmers in your home, this does not necessarily mean that you have termites in your house. If you find a large number, it is a red flag to get it checked out.
If you are concerned and find a large number in your home, you should contact a pest control operator and have them come out and make an inspection to see if you have a termite infestation.
Many people confuse termites and ants. You can bring samples in to me and I can tell you if they are termites or ants.
As a general rule, the native subterranean termites swarm from January through April and fly during the day. The dry-wood and Formosan termites swarm from early April through June and begin flying at dusk and are attracted to lights.
Master Gardener Class
We had a very good Master Gardener class back in January-February 2009. The Master Gardener program is a volunteer project of the LSU AgCenter. Classes are conducted on various horticulture topics and all Master Gardener volunteers are asked to perform a minimum of required volunteer hours and continuing education hours each year to maintain their certification.
This year's class met on Wednesday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. We are considering starting a class twice a week but having it in the evening to accommodate individuals who work.
If you are interested please call my office at 873-6495 and leave a name, phone number and mailing address, and we will get back in touch with you about the program.
Vegetables to Plant in March
Snap beans, Swiss chard, radish, lettuce, collards, mustard, turnips, cabbage, broccoli and sweet corn. Transplant tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Plant cantaloupes, squash, cucumbers and watermelons well after danger of frost is over.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Bennett Joffrion at 985-873-6495 or visit our Web site at www.lsuagcenter.com.
It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age or disability.