Bee Proof Coating

[matt_i]

Hi, I am contemplating bending a drip cap out of aluminum coil stock for protecting an exterior outlet that's going to have an extension cord hooked up pretty much 24x365 for the battery minder on my tractors, which live outside under silver tarps. I know there are outlets which have a clear cap which houses the male plug and just has a groove for the cord, but the recessed vinyl blocks I chose don't have enough depth to allow the cover to swing completely open...

My concern is with the extended "mini awning" I am creating the perfect opportunity for hornets to nest, I fought a protracted battle with them last year getting stung about 3x while working on various parts of my building, and wish to avoid a similar year

I'm wondering if there's any kind of coating or liner material which I can use to help exclude bees? I had the idea of lining the trim-coil piece with a piece of LDPE milk-jug material with the idea its super slippery and possibly their nest wouldn't stick to it, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else had good ideas.

 

[CN Spots]

Ever spring I spray the place with Malathion. Sheds, equipment, eaves, corners... anywhere those little turds like to build. It's kept them at bay for the past few years. I usually have to hit everything again mid summer. I will stink for a few days though.

 

[My Old Tools]

Are you talking about bees (honey or bumble), hornets, red wasps, yellow jackets, what? All are different.

 

[matt_i]

Seemed to mostly be hornets last year. They build little nests that hang upside down from a "post". Definitely not honey bees.

 

[Kaizen]

Well the clear cover would allow you to see them. Probably too hot inside one of those covers. Wasps like open air flow. Suggest putting out hanging traps asap to get the emerging queens.


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[rlitman]

...Suggest putting out hanging traps asap to get the emerging queens...

My understanding is that the attractant in traps only works on workers, not queens. But I could be wrong.

A better option than traps might be bait stations. There are pesticides (micro-encapsulated permethrin comes to mind) that you can mix with bait (I use cat food with a splash of cider vinegar) that if mixed in the right concentrations will get brought back to the nest by workers, poisoning the whole lot, rather than just the worker.

 

[UpstateNY]

Ever spring I spray the place with Malathion. Sheds, equipment, eaves, corners... anywhere those little turds like to build. It's kept them at bay for the past few years. I usually have to hit everything again mid summer. I will stink for a few days though.

OP is overthinking it, CN Spots has the answer. Spray your shutters and any other items the little flying bastages like to build nests within.

 

[redmondjp]

Take a chunk of closed-cell foam, or an old Brillo or Scotchbrite pad and make a gasket that goes around the cord to seal off the opening at the bottom of the cover.

 

[Kaizen]

My understanding is that the attractant in traps only works on workers, not queens. But I could be wrong.



A better option than traps might be bait stations. There are pesticides (micro-encapsulated permethrin comes to mind) that you can mix with bait (I use cat food with a splash of cider vinegar) that if mixed in the right concentrations will get brought back to the nest by workers, poisoning the whole lot, rather than just the worker.

Could be. I put rotting food in mine so the attractant would get a hungry queen. I have caught a few large ones in store made ones at the beginning of spring. So many different kinds who knows if they were queens. I keep bees as a hobby so I put out wasp traps all summer. Normally after a few days they are filled with dead yellow jackets. Not so much black wasps.
Have never heard wasps bring back food and all die. I know ants do that. I will have to do some research


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[rlitman]

Here's a link to a study on baiting yellow jackets:
http://www.pestboard.ca.gov/howdoi/research/2009_yellowjacket.pdf

They go for the rotting smell. I tried the Friskies Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner Classic Pate, and plan to mix in cider vinegar and some isobutanol for this spring's batch. The hard part is putting the bait stations where raccoons can't disturb them.

So, when do you start finding queens? We still have snow in the forecast this weekend.
I'm curious as to when you think I should start baiting this year. I only started the bait thing last fall, with magnificent results in a matter of days.

 

[Brian_WK]

I read this as Pee Proof Coating. Came in wondering what he needed pee proofed. See now its about Bees... Carry on.

Brian

 

[Kaizen]

Here's a link to a study on baiting yellow jackets:
http://www.pestboard.ca.gov/howdoi/research/2009_yellowjacket.pdf

They go for the rotting smell. I tried the Friskies Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner Classic Pate, and plan to mix in cider vinegar and some isobutanol for this spring's batch. The hard part is putting the bait stations where raccoons can't disturb them.

So, when do you start finding queens? We still have snow in the forecast this weekend.
I'm curious as to when you think I should start baiting this year. I only started the bait thing last fall, with magnificent results in a matter of days.

That's the hard part. This time of year I put them out with saltwater so it doesn't freeze. They hatch when ground thaws so if it's near the foundation it's a lot earlier then in the woods. When I start seeing my bees or other insects a start putting them out


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