Any Idea What Caused This?

[Ditch Doc]

Hi all!

I headed out to my workshop yesterday and found that some sort of insect has been boring into the legs of my workbench. I haven't been out there in a week or two, so this has been fairly recent. The holes are shallow, look like they were made with a spade bit, and there are piles of sawdust on the ground.

Any idea what bug may have done this? If so, what have you tried to get rid of them?

Thanks!

 

[astroracer]

Probably Bumble Bee's. They are wood borers. Spray the legs with Raid and let it soak in.
Mark

 

[Tronyadorable]

Diesel works. Keeps termites at bay too.

 

[LB-1911]

Hi all!

I headed out to my workshop yesterday and found that some sort of insect has been boring into the legs of my workbench. I haven't been out there in a week or two, so this has been fairly recent.

The holes are shallow, look like they were made with a spade bit, and there are piles of sawdust on the ground.

Any idea what bug may have done this? If so, what have you tried to get rid of them?

Thanks!

My WAG..

Powderpost Beetles
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/ppb-wif.htm


edit to add
What is the diameter of the holes?

Carpenter Bees
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/carpenterbees.htm

 

[jkwilson]

Probably Bumble Bee's. They are wood borers. Spray the legs with Raid and let it soak in.
Mark

Though wood borers look like bumble bees, they aren't the same insect.

 

[skcj213]

Could be Carpenter Bees. I have them at my house. It would be a bit odd for them to be indoors though. Does your workshop have easy access from outdoors?

If it is Carpenter Bees then Drione Dust works well. I got mine from Amazon, it came with an puffer applicator. I dusted several of the holes they had bored in my house this past summer and the next day the ground was littered with dead bees under each of the holes. The dust stays in place so as the eggs hatch the new bees are killed as well.

 

[SARG]

I have one rafter of about a dozen that the carpenter bees seem to love. I battle them every summer and eventually I'll probably have to replace it because of all the holes and cavities they make.

Poison doesn't work well because they don't actually ingest the wood .... they just bore through it.

Do a google on "carpenter bee traps" and see all that pops up. There's guys on Ebay that sell the traps by the dozen.

I kill the critters and then caulk the holes.

 

[pattenp]

Carpenter bee traps work great. I have a couple of traps and catch dozens of them every summer. It has helped a lot to keep them from boring holes in my house siding.

 

[lksdrinker]

that pops up. There's guys on Ebay that sell the traps by the dozen.

I kill the critters and then caulk the holes.

I've heard you should plug the holes with steel wool and then caulk or cap accordingly. Apparently any creature that eats/bores wood might bore through the caulk but wont touch the steel wool.

 

[Fyrme]

Hi all!

I headed out to my workshop yesterday and found that some sort of insect has been boring into the legs of my workbench. I haven't been out there in a week or two, so this has been fairly recent. The holes are shallow, look like they were made with a spade bit, and there are piles of sawdust on the ground.

Any idea what bug may have done this? If so, what have you tried to get rid of them?

Thanks!

Lots of guesses here, and some are most likely correct. But a picture and a hole diameter will get you the most correct answer.

Again, only a guess without better info, if the holes perfectly round and are approx. 3/8" dia. You are dealing with a wood bee (carpenter bees). It seems odd that you are dealing with them this late in the year though. Around here in Oklahoma, they show up mid to late spring and are non existent by late September, early October. They love pine and cedar. Probably because it is soft and the holes are usually bored about 3/4" deep and then turn and run with the grain. This info is only from experience, not from anything I've read. It is easy to evict them from their nest, but unless you kill them, they will just go make another one somewhere else.

Though wood borers look like bumble bees, they aren't the same insect.

Troof!

 

[CNGsaves]

Could it be . . . . . . . . . . . . Satan ???

Seriously . . . how do you expect any reasonable reply without a PICTURE ???

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The Drione Dust works well on carpenter bees. If you find a hole they have bored, blow it in with a bulb duster and they will all come out and die very quickly. It sticks to them. Kills grubs they lay in the tunnels also. I plugged mine up with corks I got from a DIY pest control place. Very unusual to see carpenter bees this late in the year, even here in GA let alone anywhere further north.

Use a dust mask or respirator when applying the powder, as it is very fine, like a sticky talc powder.

 

[PugetDude]

Could it be . . . . . . . . . . . . Satan ???

Seriously . . . how do you expect any reasonable reply without a PICTURE ???

LOL...I was thinking the same thing.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Though wood borers look like bumble bees, they aren't the same insect.

X2. "Large Carpernter Bees" or Eastern Carpenter Bees look like Bumble Bees but have little to no hair on the abdomen. They make perfect 3/8" holes in wood and leave a pile of frazz.

Tommy

 

[T-Mac]

Badminton racket works great on carpenter bees-they love to bore into my front porch-racket cuts them in half-cocky S.O.B.'s too!
edit-racquet-not racket-sorry