Carpenter Bees?? Help

[devildog1]

Has anyone out there had any experience with what I call Carpenter Bees?
They look like a big yellow Bumble bee, but are darker in color, they buzz around the house and barn. When they are looking for a place to make a nest they hoover like a helicopter in place. They seem to drill ,(eat) a perfect 7/16" or 3/8" hole in the wood and that's where they lay the larvae.Around here the type of wood doesn't seem to matter, Red Ceder, Pine or Pressure treated, the drill in all. Any idea how to trap them or do I look for the sawdust and them spray in bee spray to kill them, but holes are still there.Nasty little buggers they are.
DevilDog

 

[Ridgewalker]

When I was a kid we would watch to make sure the bee was in the hole and then we sealed it up with red clay. That seemed to work...

 

[RoyJackson]

Not much you can do (except paint your house...they don't like paint) until they bore. Then, in early evening (when they're inside protecting the queen), spray a little WD-40 in the hole(s). Kills the workers and the queens (plus any eggs). Then fill the hole with wood putty.
I live in a log house...never even heard of Carpenter bees until I bought this house.

One thing that's kind of fun (when you're really bored) is set outside when the workers are flying around. They can't sting you, but they'll dive in and try to intimidate you. Have an old tennis or badminton raquet handy and smack 'em around a bit. Those critters are kind of slow, so it's not too difficult.

Problem with Ridgewalker's suggestion is, unless you kill 'em, they'll bore out through another location...

 

[eepete]

They are nasty. Had big arguments with the architect for the house. He wanted lots of exposed wood and beams, I wanted everything boxed in and cement fiberboard. I 95% won. Only exposed wood is treaded wood on screened in porch and deck, that's also where we have the carpenter bees (or borer bees as they called down here). I know people that have cedar siding houses that are hating life.

I know some people have painted the pressure treat or exposed wood and the bees leave that alone. I'm close to doing that on our screened in porch, but have a test area going now to see if that's really true- hopefully others can chime in.

I wait for the sawdust and spray bee killer. If I can catch them in there, I'll put a piece of electrical tape over the hole (faster than filling it with something). You can also get good bating practice swatting them with a 3' 2x4, but it is easy to get carried away and loose track of your suroundings...

EDIT: Sounds like Roy has heard the paint will detour them approach. Badminton racquet sounds safer than a 2x4.

Nasty little buggers indeed !

Pete

 

[MikeD74T]

I had multiple infestations 3 years ago in the trim on my dormers. Went to a DIY pest control site (don't remember which one) & got a bulb duster, delta dust & drione dust. Mixed the dusts in equal parts in the duster. A couple puffs in each hole solved the problem. Eventually covered the trim with aluminum, that really slowed them down.
Also saw a trap in Farm Show magazine, esentially a cube of wood hung from a corner with 3/8" holes drilled sideways into a vertical 1" hole up from the bottom thru the center. Glue a 2 liter bottle cap in the 1" hole with a 3/8 hole in the cap. Bees enter the side holes looking to nest, get to the center hole, go toward the light into the 2 liter bottle. MikeD74T

 

[grnspot110]

I use a 50 cent flea market tennis racket, swat 'em right outa' the air! ~~ grnspot110

 

[2manyrocks]

Many of your insect sprays won't phase them. I found some Greenlight Multipurpose insect dust that will kill them, but you have to use a squeeze bulb or syringe to inject it their holes.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

My brother Brian invented a trap and existing hole treatment that are very effective. I helped him with the patent. Check out his videos.
Carpenter Bee Solutions - The Best Carpenter Bee Trap & Other Carpenter Bee Control Products

 

[Bartcephus]

I agree, NASTY BUGGERS....

I found that wasp and hornet spray will kill them. They have been boring into my tractor shed and getting thier "sawdust" on my tractor! (Gasp!) Something had to be done. I plugged their holes with tin roofing screws. (The ones with a rubber washer.) Listened to them get really buzzing then. After a weekend of my torture to them, they have left. Now when I see one, its the wasp and hornet spray that knocks them out. Before I started killing them, all you could here was their constant buzzing. It was quite annoying. They also call them "wood bees" down/over here...

Best Luck in ridding yourself of these pests..

 

[RobA]

Carpenter bees love my pine board and batten barn. I'd never heard of traps until this post. Great idea. THANK YOU!!