Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. APRIL 29. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
Carpenter bees damage can sting
homeowners if left untreated
By Stephanie Butcher
for CAES News
Carpenter bees are a com
mon sight this time of year
and can cause aggravation for
homeowners. The large,
black and yellow bees begin
emerging in March, April and
May and can cause unsightly
damage — and in some cases
significant damage — to
wooden structures like the
eaves of houses, porches and
decks.
The carpenter bee got its
name because of its ability to
tunnel in wood with its jaws.
The female bees create half
inch, round holes in wood to
lay their eggs. Some signs of
carpenter bees are sawdust
that can be found on the
ground or on the surface of
an object beneath the hole.
The holes lead to short tun
nels into the wood and run
horizontally with the grain.
Trusses, overhangs,
wooden decks and other ex
posed wood on houses attract
the bees. Female carpenter
bees looking to nest typically
prefer bare, unpainted or
weathered softwoods, but
bees will still nest in wood
that is treated or painted.
Unlike termites, carpenter
bees do not consume wood as
food. Instead, they gnaw tun
nels to create nesting sites
and overwinter in the tunnels.
Female bees lay eggs in
the tunnels until the tunnels
are full. Male bees do not
drill tunnels, but they are pro
tective of their territory. The
male is distinguished from
the female by a white spot on
the front of the face. Al
though bumble bees and car
penter bees are often
mistaken for one another,
bumble bees have a hairy ab
domen while carpenter bees
have a bare, shiny black ab
domen.
Along with their differ
ence in appearance, carpenter
bees can be seen darting and
diving around as well as
“chasing” each other. Female
carpenter bees seldom sting
but will if disturbed or han
dled. Male carpenter bees
cannot sting, but they often
become aggressive and
frighten people by flying
around their heads. Carpenter
bees are also primarily soli
tary bees, whereas bumble
bees are social bees that nest
together.
Carpenter bee larvae are
large and noisy. The noise
Photo courtesy UGA Extension
Although bumble bees and carpenter bees are often mistaken for one another, bumble
bees have a hairy abdomen while carpenter bees, such as the one pictured, have a bare,
shiny black abdomen. Just for comparison, a bumble bee is pictured below.
1 m "
■
...qC.
Vv 4-' Ji.- vU.rTv 4 • >-
' wv 4
#*■>
sf: ..■ A . ■•sjrP;.
Al t tS?, '■
-■Tr' -"A
Good Samaritan
HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER
Restoring Health. Saving Lives.
All kinds of care for all ages.
All types of payments.
All under one roof.
Medical • Dental
Behavorial Health • Pharmacy
Open Monday - Friday.
Call 706-253-4673 for appointments.
75 Samaritan Drive • Jasper GA 30143
goodsamhwc.org
We accept a wide variety of insurance: Blue Cross Blue Shield,
Cigna, United Healthcare, plus Medicare, Medicaid & Veterans
Choice. Plus, we have a low-cost sliding fee scale for
individuals without insurance.
Traps can be effective against carpenter bees, but not al
ways. Homeowners may have to try different versions to
find one that works for their location.
they make may attract wood
peckers, which can do further
damage to wood as they hunt
for the larvae.
Control methods
If carpenter bees are not
causing major damage
around your home, consider
leaving them alone. Although
they are not primary pollina
tors for many plants, they are
effective at pollinating many
vegetable plants like egg
plants, tomatoes and more. In
case of severe damage, the
following are three methods
that can be used to control
carpenter bees:
• Prevention is key. Treat
wood with thick coats of oil-
based or latex paint or stain.
It won’t make the wood “bee-
proof,” but it does discourage
the bees by making it less de
sirable to them.
• Treat the tunnels. Car
penter bees are most likely to
be in their tunnels in the late
evening. Just before sunset,
apply an aerosol insecticide
inside the hole that the car
penter bee has drilled, wait
24 hours, then plug the hole
with dowel rods, plastic
wood, caulk or other suitable
material. Do not plug the
holes without treating the in
side first because the bees
will simply drill their way out
and all of your time and en
ergy will have been wasted.
• Use traps. Carpenter bee
traps are available at most
lawn and garden centers, but
results vary regarding their
effectiveness.
• For more information
about carpenter and other
pollinating bees, visit
bees.caes.uga.edu. To choose
an appropriate insecticide or
determine the best control
method for your property,
contact your local University
of Georgia Cooperative Ex
tension office or visit exten-
sion.uga.edu.
Who doesn’t love an OREO!
Donation Goal $2000
Young OREO is suffering from heart failure. He has a grade 3 to 4 heart
murmur with fluid build up in his belly. He has been scheduled on May 20 lh
for his initial exam at UGA. If they determine he is a candidate for the
balloon Valvuloplasty procedure, they will perform this on the following day.
With this procedure, he could live a normal life. A life, Be-Paws We Care,
Inc. (BPWC) believes he deserves. We have been given an estimate that it
will be $4000 and have collected $2000 to date. We know this is a lot and
frankly this is a first for us. If you met this fellow you would know why we
are going the distance for him.
To “SWEETEN” up this Donation drive... for
every $5 donated on-line in behalf of OREO you
can pick from 1- 8oz mini OREOs or 5-1oz
fudge dipped mini OREOs. OR for every $20
donation, get ready for "Jeepfest”, we have a
limited # (2 S, 4 M, 5 L & 5L PINK) of our “NO
DOG LEFT BEHIND" t-shirts. Items can be picked up
at the Jasper Fanners Market on May 8 111 at the BPWC Tent
Additional items for donation can be obtained that day as well.
TO DONATE ON-LINE: NEED to set up donation page
Specify in comments which item you wish
PLEASE DONATE... ANY AMOUNT IS
GREATLY APPRECIATED AND THANK
YOU IN ADVANCE!
Donations can also be sent to:
Be-Paws We Care,
361 Oaklands Dr, Talking Rock GA 30175
Public Notice of new intersection
Georgia Lottery enjoys record sales
in third quarter, at over $415 million
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - The Georgia Lottery is coming off the most
successful quarter in its 27-year history.
The lottery raised more than $415.8 million in profits
for education during January, February and March, an all-
time record for a quarter, the Georgia Lottery Corp. re
ported Thursday.
“The Georgia Lottery’s extraordinary results have a
wide-reaching impact on Georgia’s students, families and
communities,” Gov. Brian Kemp said.
“Lottery-funded Pre-K prepares our youngest students
with a foundation for learning, while HOPE keeps our best
and brightest students in state, building a strong workforce
and driving economic development in Georgia.”
The lottery also set a record for the first three quarters
of a fiscal year, transferring $ 1.47 billion to the Lottery for
Education Account between last July and the end of
March.
Third quarter sales were driven by large Mega Millions
and Powerball jackpots that began growing late last year
and extended into January.
The lottery has returned more than $23.4 billion to the state since its inception in the mid-
1990s. More than 1.9 million students have received a HOPE scholarship, while more than
1.6 million 4-year-olds have attended the voluntary pre-kindergarten program.
Pursuant to requests and from a public safety and
traffic perspective, the City of Jasper hereby gives
notice of plans to implement a new 4-way intersec
tion at Collins Road and Noah Drive beginning Mon
day, May 3rd.
Please contact City Hall at 706-692-9100
with any questions or concerns.
Give your Mother a gift that keeps on giving 1 every week.
Progress gift subscriptions make the perfect Mother’s Day Gift
(Well, Perfect might be a little exaggeration)
but your mom will love it.
Call our office at 706-253-2457
to set up a gift subscription.