Bee Season

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Carpenter Bee season is here again with a vengance. I've killed over 30 this week with my md.34 snub and ratshot. Wingshooting is excellent.....If you limit your range to 6 feet or less. Ran out of ratshot. Have resorted to my old .32 3" HE. Loaded some ammo for them last night. 1 grain of bullseye/paper wad/3 cc #9 shot topped with a paper wad & fingernail polish to seal. Back on the hunt today.
 
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I used to use a daisy BB gun when I was a boy. Low hit rate but satisfying.
 
How much does a bee stamp cost, and what's the daily bag limit??
Seriously, aside from those who are allergic, bees are generally thought of as a good thing due to their plant-pollinating activities. There's been some some sort of "sick hive syndrome" thing going on the last few years, leading to concerns about a less than optimal amount of pollinating activities.
Is there any particular reason you're gunning for them-- damage to wooden buildings perhaps?
 
How much does a bee stamp cost, and what's the daily bag limit??
Seriously, aside from those who are allergic, bees are generally thought of as a good thing due to their plant-pollenating activities. There's been some some sort of "sick hive syndrome" thing going on the last few years, leading to concerns about a less than optimal amount of pollenating activities.
Is there any particular reason you're gunning for them-- damage to wooden buildings perhaps?

It's called "colony collapse syndrome". I share your concern regarding pollenation, bees are vital to so many things but while I may well be wrong, I'm thinking carpenter bees aren't the real pollenators. Maybe someone can step in with more knowledge?

Aside from that issue, the reactive target issue sounds like a blast. I remember seeing an article in a shooting magazine years ago where the writer was assassinating dragon flies with .22LR shotshells. Don
 
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I like to go hand to hand with carpenter bees. In lieu of .44 mag "plinking" rounds which tend to upset neighbors and golfers passing by, my weapon of choice is a racket-ball "racket". Very effective and deadley, 35 confirmed kills last year and haven't seen a single bee this year yet. The wife loves this technique and has become a killer of these pesky flying insects, and sure beats the hell out of trying to hit them in air with wasp/hornet spray! Try it if you haven't, very satisfying and fun, almost wish a few bees would show up, we're armed and read for em'.
 
Carpenter bees aren't pollenators and can sure do some damage to wood around the house. WD40 knocks em down when you can't shoot.

You're going to love this years crop of Cicadas, better stock up on ammo.
 
Beeman and Air Arms Air rifles- the good ones, not the department store ****. My Beeman .177 has a C-T-C rating at 10 meters of 0.10". One stroke pump, very different that what we grew up with. With a good 8-12X scope, I shoot wasps, hornets and even flies at 15-20 yards. Virtually no noise, no cleanup afterwards. Loads of fun!
 
Lots of interesting comments and glad to learn the the carpenter bees are more destructive than beneficial. Don
 
No need to use lead shot; there is a cheaper alternative.

In a 44 Magnum or 45 Colt, use 1 grain of Bullseye. Make a punch out of a discarded case by sharpening the case mouth, and then use this to make wads out of scrap cardboard, such as from a pizza box, etc. Next put one of these wads over the powder, and seat with a 3/8" wooden dowel. Now fill the case with dry rice or grits, and then put another cardboard wad over this. If you have a good tight fit, and if you aren't going to carry them around, they can be used just as-is. However, if you are going to be carrying them for any length of time, you should glue the top wad to the case with a ring of super glue, or some other glue or sealant.

The best part of not using any lead shot is that the load will not do any damage to windows or paint on nearby buildings if the distance is more than only a few feet away.

Have fun.
 
I have two Carpenter Bee traps that I use, made of untreated pine wood, a rectangular shaped box with a 1/2" diameter hole drilled into each side, with a clear empty Gatorade bottle attached at the bottom. I hang the traps, one at each end of my house.The Carpenter bee finds the hole, crawls inside, sees daylight at the bottom and flies into bottle. Bottle fills up with dead carpenter bees, replace bottle with new one.
But I must say, papajohn's Bug-a-salt looks like more fun.
 
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