Yes, I caught the guilty one that was stealing my wood. It was a tough fight and I was glad he/she was working alone because it was a formidable opponent. Dodging my every move. Countering my strikes and opportune moments while engaged.
It’s counter moves were out of this world,( I think it favored hand to hand and I didn’t want any part of that.) I could see I was “outmatched” but NOT down! It came at me with lightning reflex’s and had the mobility of a wild flying bird, Raven I would say. Almost like it could see multiple images of myself from different views.?
One of us was going to live, I could sense that.
The tides turned and I got it on it’s back and was merely grazed by it’s fierce offensive counter measures’. Crap, death from above i thought!!..
I prevailed in this fight but I don’t think the battle is over, not by a long shot. -careful out there!
coffee is not my cup of tea
Replies
Son of a B...who would have thought. Thanks for the heads up...
WOW! I am scared of bees that can bore holes into wood. The good thing is that these bees aren't the kind that band together like the african type. You must have been close to it's nest and it thought it was protecting itself.
I don't think these types carry grudges but will get angry if you do something to them that they don't like. Spray some water on them, that will cool the flying hotheads down. They go away sooner or later and then all is well. -Kenny
The old barn where I grew up was full of wood bees. The big one's like a large bumble-bee. They would make about a 3/8" hole into the rafters then tunnel inside.
I used to fight them with my dad's cattle whip. They never sting or even take a run at you. I could hit one with about every 5th swat. My dad could hit them with one swing. Was one of my favorite pasttimes on a hot summer day. Would have contests with my playmates.
I keep knob patterns here in my shop and the dirt dobbers are continually filling the top holes with eggs and mud. Really p-i-s-s-e-s me off!
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
Time to break out the ol cattle whip and hone your skills.
Never sting??? Worst sting I ever got was a wood bee! That nest of yellowjackets I mowed through was nothing in comparison. Maybe it's just them onery Tennessee hillbilly wood bees :-)
I think that's a carpenter bee. It looks like a bumble bee, but lot more docile. The carpenter bee will cut a hole about the size of a dime and run parallel into the wood where it lays eggs. It can do some serious damage to your house if you're not paying attention. It's very difficult to get rid of them.
I think you should apply for a job with steven King. Very good.
I once ripped a 4' piece of facia off a house to replace it because of the carpenter bees. I got it on the ground and heard a high pitch humming coming from the board and so I held it vertically and started to shake it, and out of the three perfect endgrain holes came over 65 large bees. My partner picked up a ceder shake and started swinging, some got away but not many. Where there's a few you can bet there's at least a few more.
I'll have to show a pic of my bee clock and tell the story behind it. Do that when I get home monday.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
I had them in the trim on the front of my house. Their holes were perfect. If somene could train them, they could be a new tool.
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