Thursday, May 23, 2013

the dust pile is a giveaway

On the wall of a storage shed near my workshop sits a birdhouse with a blue roof. Chickadees gave it a quick 'look see' yesterday and likely didn't stay long because of a dust pile on the rooftop. Have you ever seen such a thing?

["Fresh dust pile means a wanderer has returned"]

Years ago such dust piles were a mystery to me when I saw one on my back deck, under new board cladding on my house. Not anymore. Now I know they are made by driller or carpenter bees - the size of bumblebees, sometimes larger than. I occasionally spot one roaming from place to place in my backyard, sniffing out a suitable spot to drill a hole, and then to drill out a long tunnel-like home, e.g., inside a slat of softwood, like the eave of my shed, starting just above the dust pile on the birdhouse roof.


["The beehouse can hang upon a tree trunk,
fence post or shed wall"]

I'm only doing one thing to combat the troops. I'm now building beehouses filled with perfectly round holes, just like the bees make. Hopefully they'll find a hole that fits them just right and stay away from my shed. What do you think about this idea?

Photos by GH

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Please click here to see Mrs. C. 'made in the shade'

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