Carpenter bees

[Coug]

Like others have mentioned....keep your wood stained/painted. Keep holes filled in. If and when you redo your deck or remodel, go with alternatives like Trex and Hardie board if you can swing the added costs. It's been a point of contention between me and the wife. She has this fascination with "real wood". Loves it....until it's time to paint/stain/deal with carpenter bees/etc. I won out on my deck and it's Trex. I pressure wash each spring and it looks as good as the day it was installed. She got her cedar rails and pressure treated stairs. Every 2-3 years, it's time to repaint/stain. I don't do paint/stain. Those were the rules when these decisions were made. I don't say "I told you so", but man, I do think it and smile.

Just to second this, you definitely have to fill the holes or they come back next season and reuse them.

 

[CAVPUT]

Just to second this, you definitely have to fill the holes or they come back next season and reuse them.

Not sure if this holds true but gramps always said to hit the hole with a little WD40 before you fill it in. I've always done it.

 

[Coug]

Not sure if this holds true but gramps always said to hit the hole with a little WD40 before you fill it in. I've always done it.

I admit to managing to kill a few with WD40 but I'm unsure of it's lasting strength once you fill the hole. They recommend using a dust like Drion or Delta Dust before you fill the hole. Delta is a little cheaper at about $25.

 

[CAVPUT]

I admit to managing to kill a few with WD40 but I'm unsure of it's lasting strength once you fill the hole. They recommend using a dust like Drion or Delta Dust before you fill the hole. Delta is a little cheaper at about $25.

I'll have to go with your recommendation. Me and gramps had a special bond. Any and everything he said was/is gospel to me.

 

[Danl]

A couple of fishing buddies and I are fishing in the mountains of Nothkalina. The cabin we're staying in has this trap. It looks like its pretty effective, but there are dozens of the bastards flying around.

 

[chargervol]

They say every creature has a purpose and that's probably true.
But I'm convinced the first purpose of a carpenter bee is just to aggravate the crap out of me.

Kill one and 2 more show up. That's mythology stuff, right there.

 

[Orangeburst]

Sentenced about 50 to death yesterday with a tennis racket. Was really enjoyable to tell you the truth.

I like the little doink sound

 

[malinoisvol]

x10

 

[Zues1]

I just read an article that said carpenter bee's will not go near hornets , yeah man me either
Anyway the article said to make a fake hornets nest out of plastic bags, stuff bags in a bag until you have a nice sized round bag. Hang in in the area where the carpenters bees are and they will no come near it.
Don't know it will work but it's worth a shot.
Now the big question is, will Hornets think it's the mother ship and start hanging around in bunches

 

[Orangeburst]

I just read an article that said carpenter bee's will not go near hornets , yeah man me either
Anyway the article said to make a fake hornets nest out of plastic bags, stuff bags in a bag until you have a nice sized round bag. Hang in in the area where the carpenters bees are and they will no come near it.
Don't know it will work but it's worth a shot.
Now the big question is, will Hornets think it's the mother ship and start hanging around in bunches

Dang you..

 

[Zues1]

Dang you..


View attachment 204040

🤣😂

 

[Jackcrevol]

x10
View attachment 203987

that has a stinger. Male Carpenter Bees dont sting. Females do sting. Males fly around nest, females inside nest.

Dont stick your hand in hole.

used liquid nails in all the holes last weekend, and put out fake wood nests with plastic bottles. we'll see.

 

[OrangeBlood4life]

A couple of fishing buddies and I are fishing in the mountains of Nothkalina. The cabin we're staying in has this trap. It looks like its pretty effective, but there are dozens of the bastards flying around.

View attachment 203964

This trap works. We had so many on our back porch. Now there are like 10 bees in each of our traps. Havent noticed anymore flying around in a couple days .

 

[malinoisvol]

13 down, 5,763,248 to go.

 

[IPleadInsanity]

A couple of fishing buddies and I are fishing in the mountains of Nothkalina. The cabin we're staying in has this trap. It looks like its pretty effective, but there are dozens of the bastards flying around.

View attachment 203964

Double wide, I like it! These traps work but slowly. Should be used to eliminate the stragglers after whacking 100 or so with racquet. I like to reduce their numbers quickly, thereby reducing the hives harvesting capability. This has been an effective method for me for the last few years, but they come back every spring to test me.

 

[BennesseeVols]

.22 revolver w/ rat shot is the most fun way to eliminate them

 

[Tin Man]

First carpenter bee infestation in over a year. Bugger bored into a tread on the stairs I intalled for the screened porch. A tread! Flooded the hole with poison mist, heard the little beyotch buzzin'. If she doesn't fall out dead, soon. I will putty her up inside. Yes, I will buy/make a trap, soon.

 

[butchna]

I admit to managing to kill a few with WD40 but I'm unsure of it's lasting strength once you fill the hole. They recommend using a dust like Drion or Delta Dust before you fill the hole. Delta is a little cheaper at about $25.

That’s what I used as a tech. 100% success rate.

 

[Zues1]

Brake cleaner or carb cleaner aerosol with the little plastic straw. Its cheap and effective. Find a hole, give it a 4 second squirt. If she's in there she'll fall out quickly. This will contaminate the eggs as well. Back fill with liquid nails.

 

[volinbham]

So I have an outdoor umbrella - one of the offset kind where there's a handle you raise to change the angle of the shade. It has about 3 feet from lowest setting to highest and there are holes in the umbrella post (square post) that the handle notches into at different levels.

I recently moved it and to do so you take the umbrella and post off the base (one of those you fill with water like a basketball goal. When I took it off about 6 dead carpenter bees fell out. I looked at the holes and they almost identical in size to the ones these bees make.

I moved it again today about about 30 dead ones fell out.

Bottomline, this may be the best carpenter bee trap ever created.

 

[vollygirl]

So I have an outdoor umbrella - one of the offset kind where there's a handle you raise to change the angle of the shade. It has about 3 feet from lowest setting to highest and there are holes in the umbrella post (square post) that the handle notches into at different levels.

I recently moved it and to do so you take the umbrella and post off the base (one of those you fill with water like a basketball goal. When I took it off about 6 dead carpenter bees fell out. I looked at the holes and they almost identical in size to the ones these bees make.

I moved it again today about about 30 dead ones fell out.

Bottomline, this may be the best carpenter bee trap ever created.

😲

 

[Jackcrevol]

So I have an outdoor umbrella - one of the offset kind where there's a handle you raise to change the angle of the shade. It has about 3 feet from lowest setting to highest and there are holes in the umbrella post (square post) that the handle notches into at different levels.

I recently moved it and to do so you take the umbrella and post off the base (one of those you fill with water like a basketball goal. When I took it off about 6 dead carpenter bees fell out. I looked at the holes and they almost identical in size to the ones these bees make.

I moved it again today about about 30 dead ones fell out.

Bottomline, this may be the best carpenter bee trap ever created.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

Tennis rackets. Cheap yard sale or garage sale ones....even a badminton racket would work. You can put them in orbit...and its fun. Ha..its a summer sport in our neck of the woods...traps do work...and you can make em yourself on the cheap but they are slow and limited capabilities apply. You can take out dozens with a racket in a couple minutes whenever you happen to be outside. This is what really turns the tide. No athletic ability required ...my 13yo daughters genocide of those pests is common knowledge in NC lol

 

[Buzzbait]

You can point your finger at them to lure them close, then swat'em with a tennis racket

I prefer an old racquetball racket. Shorter handle, more control, less likely to hit something you don’t want to hit. Lol

 

[SlipKidVol]

I prefer an old racquetball racket. Shorter handle, more control, less likely to hit something you don’t want to hit. Lol

badminton racket