The carpenter bees invaded our place about the same time our hot spring got here. As you may or may not know them suckers will drill a perfectly round hole in any wood that is not painted. The hole will always be about three eights inch in diameter. Well anyway they began to drill holes in the back porch banister. I mean there was little piles of drill dust from one end of the porch to the other end. I began to wonder if all that drilling would make the porch weak enough to collapse.
I ask the little woman to search the internet for a cure for this problem. She found several articles on the subject but only one that was practical enough to do and made sense enough to try it. So with her list in hand we made our way to the builders supply store. We asked for help and bought enough material to mix up about twenty pounds. The salesman kept on telling us that we needed at least a small mixer and pump, but I told him I thought we would be just fine. He sort of shook his head from side to side and heaved a large sigh and said if we needed anything else to just come on back. I just didn't see a need to buy something I might never use again.
We got home I mixed up a good batch, I figured enough to fill maybe three or four holes. I used a jolly ball as a vacuum to pull the material into a plastic tube. The jolly ball is made of heavy rubbery material and has a hole in the side. It will return to its inflated look even if you mash it flat. It was made for horses to play with and they sometimes stomp the ball flat. Then I found one of the kids old basket ball and pumped it up to almost bursting pressure. I used the basket ball to push the material out of the tube and into the hole. I got the air from the basket ball into the tube by using a inflating needle that came with the basket ball, worked real good. Well I finally got all them holes filled and had about half a pound of material left. At first I thought the house was tilted toward the back porch from the weight of all that mixed up stuff but it looked that way because I was standing on a slope. Well that was a relief because I didn't want to tackle leveling the house after having pumped all that stuff in them holes.
Well for now anyway, we have what is left of the bees on the run. I have no idea how long this will last but I plan to enjoy every minute of whatever time that is.
Well, the little woman remembers this story a bit differently. First of all the Jolly Ball is Abby the Doberman's toy. She needed a tough toy to play with. They come in three sizes, small, medium, and large. We got her a medium. The horses still have their large Jolly Balls in the barn.
I haven't seen one basketball that belong to the kids from way back in their younger years in so long I can't even remember the last time I did see one. I think they probably gave them away when they decided they no longer were interested in playing ball.
The trip to the store to get something to take care of getting rid of the carpenter bees is true up to the point of going to the store. Actually what was bought was a little tube of wood putty. And the wood putty was squirted into the holes. It does appear to be working, since the carpenter bees are no longer hanging around.
I will have to admit the longer story was a lot more interesting than what actually happen.
By
Roy & Jo Ann Lovelace
