Ask A Master Gardener: How do we treat boring bees?

Q. How do we treat the boring bees? We have holes in our post and sawdust below the holes!A: Wood boring bees, also known as carpenter bees, are right on schedule this spring.Control of the wood boring bees/carpenter bees is difficult and must be done annually. The carpenter bee mines galleries within wood, compromising the wood's strength. The gallery opening is an almost perfect half-inch diameter hole. This hole goes in straight initially and then turns at a ninety-degree angle. The most effective control can be achieved by applying insecticidal dusts or liquids to the galleries.Homeowners may not have access to insecticidal dusts labeled for wood treatment and thus may need to apply sprays like bee/wasp killer aerosols, Ortho Home Defense Max Termite and Destructive Bug Killer Concentrate (bifenthrin), Bayer Advanced Home Pest Control Indoor and Outdoor Insect Killer ready-to-use pump (cyfluthrin) or others into the nest opening. More information is available on Wood Boring Bees in an article written by Chris Ramsey, Sullivan County UT Extension Agent and NETMGA Advisor Sullivan County Extension Agency. Follow this link for this and other topics in Chris's Column: https://www.netmga.net/chris-column//.If you would like to deter the bees from your fences and wood siding and prefer not to use insecticides, a good coat of oil-based paint will keep them out of your wood. They typically will come back to the same nest every year. A good wood filler with a coat of oil-based paint will help them move away from their former homes.There are several external links available on the NETMGA site that offer all sorts of helpful gardening information https://www.netmga.net/links/. One such link toward the bottom of the page will take you to https://www.gardenguides.com/. You can find information on flowers, produce, structures, trees, and lawns.We hope that gives you some options to address your borer bee problem!The Master Gardeners of Northeast TennesseeGarden lovers, today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. is the 26th Annual Garden Gala in Jonesborough, Tenn. This event is a self-guided walking tour through downtown Jonesborough and is an opportunity to take a sneak peek into some of Jonesborough's hidden treasures by exploring seven different gardens. Homeowners and Master Gardeners will be there to offer gardening tips as well.There will be Marketplace Vendors set up on the International Storytelling Center Plaza and in front of the Washington County Courthouse. Vendors will be set up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be yard art, stained glass, plants, garden items, tools, garden-style jewelry, and other handcrafted goods. Registration will be held at the Jonesborough Visitors Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets for the Garden Gala are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and may above or by calling the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010. For more information: https://jonesborough.com/ and click on EVENTS.If you have a question for the Master Gardeners, submit them to us on our website at www.netmga.net. Click the link at the top of the page, "ASK A MASTER GARDENER" to send in your question. Questions that aren't answered in this column will receive a response from a Master Gardener to the contact information you provide.The Master Gardener Program is offered by the University of Tennessee Extension. The purpose of the Master Gardener program is to train people as horticultural-educated volunteers. These volunteers work in partnership with the local Extension office in their counties to expand educational outreach, providing home gardeners with researched-based information.