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Author Topic: Explain this... carpenter bee mass suicide  (Read 3428 times)

Offline boners4bees

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Explain this... carpenter bee mass suicide
« on: July 09, 2010, 12:02:35 am »
I have a wooden porch swing that some carpenter bees have been living in for a while. They never bothered us once. Recently we found about a dozen of them lying (mostly on their backs) dead under the swing. We have absolutely no idea what happened and I can't find anything regarding it online. Could you help explain this weird phenomenon of a mini bee-jonestown massacre.

Offline hardwood

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Re: Explain this... carpenter bee mass suicide
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2010, 12:11:02 am »
I don't know where you're located (profile update would help *hint*) but that happens here quite a bit. I've seen them fighting at certain times...maybe it was an all-out war?

Scott
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

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Offline lisascenic

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Re: Explain this... carpenter bee mass suicide
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2010, 12:42:02 am »
Neighbors with insecticide?

Short life spans?

Offline jgaito

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Re: Explain this... carpenter bee mass suicide
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2010, 09:19:31 am »
normal life span.  at some point they start dropping like flies.   unless they happen upon my b***h hive where they are
quickly dispatched by the girls.   :-D

Offline AllenF

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Re: Explain this... carpenter bee mass suicide
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2010, 03:44:54 pm »
Maybe the swing is made from treaded wood? 

 

anything