Use a spray with an extension tube to get into the tunnels. These petroleum-based products will effectively kill any insects. Carburetor Cleaner and WD40Īn old farmers’ alternative to insecticides is to use an aerosol such as carburetor cleaner or WD40. If you choose this method, always read and follow label instructions and wear protective gear as needed. Application should be done at night while they’re resting, or in early spring before they emerge from hibernation. Use a liquid or aerosol product with an extension tube and apply directly into the hole. Spectracide Carpenter Bee Foaming Aerosol via Amazon Products like flying insect sprays will kill the queen and her eggs. Insecticide Sprayĭeterring carpenters with natural solutions is the preferred method, but if you must pull out the big guns, here’s our first suggestion: Use an old badminton, tennis, or squash racket and patrol on a sunny day, giving a smack to those eyeing up your wood. In the spring when bees are most actively seeking nesting sites, you can dispatch flying critters with a good backhand. Once the females have vacated, plug the hole and paint. This makes them sensitive to vibrations, and they can be encouraged to vacate nests by playing loud music close by.Ĭhoose music with a deep, reverberating bass line (a bass guitar has low frequencies) and place the speaker right against the wall beside their location – then crank up the volume! It turns out that bees communicate through vibroacoustics, and they can “hear” low frequency sounds of up to 500 Hz. Or you can pick them up at pest control and garden shops or online – like these from Original B Brothers, available on Amazon. If you’re handy with woodworking, you can make your own. Original B Brothers-Carpenter Bee Trap, Set of 2 Keep in mind that this only works to deter them from building new nests – it won’t keep insects away from an existing nest in the area. Tie off the open end with a length of string and hang it in the area you want to protect. To mimic the shape and size of a wasp nest, stuff a brown paper bag with lightweight material such as moss, paper, or plastic bags. Hang a Decoy Wasp NestĬarpenter bees will avoid nesting in the same area as wasps. Smooth the surface and paint as outlined above. Fill Abandoned HolesĪs overwintering adults emerge in spring and new ones come out in late summer, stuff the entrances with caulk, a dowel, wadded aluminum foil, spray foam insulation, or steel wool. Stains and varnishes also offer some protection but are less effective than paint.īefore you paint, fill all cracks, nail holes, and splinters with caulk, putty, or wood filler as any existing damage provides an appealing point to start a nest. To dissuade them from starting nests, paint all exposed surfaces with a primer and two coats of exterior paint. It’s easier to be proactive in discouraging carpenters than it is to react to their destructive burrowing. Like this one-quart bottle of orange oil available on Amazon – it has 80 to 95 percent D-limonene, the active ingredient in citrus oils. If you’re not inclined to make your own spray, you can pick some up online. The females bore holes by using their mandibles as a rasp against the wood while vigorously vibrating their bodies. Nesting and Favored HabitatsĬarpenter bees don’t actually eat wood. Unfortunately, woodpeckers will cause more damage by drilling into the wood beside nests to get at the grubs. Natural predators include badgers, mantises, predatory flies, and some birds such as bee-eaters, shrikes, and woodpeckers. And they’re often misidentified as ground-burrowing species as well. Many species are similar in size and shape to bumblebees, and the two are often confused. In several species, females may live near their own daughters or sisters, creating a small family social group. Once laid, eggs go through another two stages of development, larva and pupa, before they emerge as adults approximately seven weeks later. But it’s a solitary female that constructs the nest, forming long tunnels into which she lays the eggs. Unlike many species that live in large colonies, carpenters are not social insects.Īfter mating, males will stick around to protect the nest.
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