Carpenter bees (look similar to bumble bees) are making Swiss cheese of my house. I took up all my azaleas and other flowers, hoping the bees would move on, but that seemed to make no difference at all! Also, most of their holes are underneath my porch railing in an area too tight to get a shot into the holes with any kind of spray.
Every day there are fresh piles of sawdust all along under my porch railing. I tried using duct tape to tape squares of plastic (cut from milk jugs) over each hole, using a mirror to see the holes. I was amazed to see that they cut a nice neat round hole right through the tape and plastic. Any ideas?
I have resorted to standing guard with bee spray and flyswatter, taking out one bee at a time. Help!
By Debra
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Try these traps ordered online. The carpenter bees were eating holes in my shutters. Wish I had found these sooner.
I agree, they work really well. I ordered mine from Amazon, the one with the green roof. Looks just like the one you have pictured. Love it!
I used to have a large infestation of carpenter bees. This year this is only a handful. What I did was to put undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle. Using the stream setting, spray vinegar into the hole until it runs out and then stuff it with cotton or anything that will plug the hole.
I sprayed bee spray in the hole and took a perfect piece of mulch and shoved it in the hole and pounded it with a hammer so it was nice and tight in the hole. What did the bee do, he started chewing another hole right next to it......... What else can I do, they are destroying our deck. ???
Thank you, Kim
I read that if you just plug the hole, that they can bore on through. My husband puts a shot of ordinary caulk in the hole and it seems to work. I guess they can't take all that goo!
I just tried the caulk. That bugger popped it out and kept on chewing
My husband said to put small pieces of steel wool in the holes. You will begin to see less of them. You may have to send in a small person under the porch to plug the holes but it will be worth it. He was telling about steel wool to someone that had the problem out in the open so I'll ask him if there is another option.
My husband made 5 of these traps and our ''friends'' were trapped and gone in no time! Great investment!
Make your own CHEAP BEE TRAP cut 4x4 into short sections, bore 2-4 holes at steep upward angle meeting inside like an "A" holes should be 1/2 inch dia. Bore another 1" hole straight UP meeting the angled holes like an "arrow" shape. Put any ordinary plastic beverage bottle's neck into the big hole may need to wrap bottle threads with tape to make it fit in snug.
Set contraption on edge of porch rail, post or similar letting bottle hang over. Then wait for your "visitors" to come on down to The "Sunroom"! Wait for 'em to die or recap the bottle, dispose of and replace with fresh bottle!
The most "permanent" solution, I've been told is to completely repaint your entire deck or use OIL stain both will make wood totally unappealing to carpenter bees looking to bore. The other tactic is to wrap vulnerable wood members especially floor beams with metal or vinyl flashing to armour them against the bees! Best yet build with metal, cement or resin from the get go!
Here's a thought, don't know if it will work or not, though: you might take a piece of flexible tubing (Home Depot has different diameters of it) to go between the 'straw' that comes with WD-40 spray can (much recommended carpenter bee killer) and the hole under your railing that is hard to get to. It would have to be a pretty short tubing length between the end of the straw and the entry hole, but it might work. Good luck.
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