Carpenter Bee
Carpenter bees are large robust insects that look much like bumble bees. They have a bare, shiny black abdomen whereas bumble bees have a hairy abdomen with some yellow markings. Male carpenter bees, identified by the bright yellow spot in the middle of the head, are aggressive but quite harmless since they lack stingers. Females can sting if molested.
Question: Will they sting me?
Answer: Not usually. Although they are a bee and capable of stinging I have not heard of anyone being stung. But remember to treat them with respect as you would any bee.
Question: How do I tell Carpenter Bees from other bees?
Answer: Carpenter bees are large like a bumble bee but they have a very distinct shiny black body.
Question: How do you treat for Carpenter Bees?
Answer: You need to treat every hole individually. This doesn't work too well if they are not in them since they will make a new nest nearby. The holes need to be treated until they are all gone.
Question: Do I need to treat them this way?
Answer: Not always. Carpenter bees will not nest in painted wood. If it is a deck or an untreated piece of wood you can paint it. If it is a crack then you can try to seal it (make sure you don't seal it before you get them out since they could drill right into living space).
Question: Why do Carpenter Ants make holes?
Answer: That is their nest.
| Carpenter Bee Nest |
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| Carpenter Bee Nest cut in two |
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There are many species of millipedes, most of which are long, cylindrical, many-segmented, worm-like creatures. There are however, some millipedes, such as O.gracilus, that are flattened. Every millipede has two pairs of legs attached to each apparent body segment. Most millipedes are brown or black, but some species are orange or red. They range in size from 5/8 to 4-inches in length.
Cluster flies (Pollenia rudis) are about the same length as house flies (5/16-inch) but are more robust in body structure. They are close relatives to blowflies, but are non-metallic gray. They lack stripes on the thorax (segments with the wings and legs attached) but they do have yellow or golden hairs on the back, behind the head, and around the base of the wings. Cluster flies appear narrow when at rest because their wings completely overlap over their backs. The larvae are typical spindle-shaped maggots but are seldom seen because they develop as parasites in earthworms.