Carpenter bees are not a common pest, but they can become an issue if they nest in wood structures such as homes and decks. The best way to manage carpenter bees is prevention – prevent them from ever setting up shop on your property in the first place!
In the springtime, before mating and egg-laying activities begin, treat tunnel openings with insecticide dust to discourage future excavations.
Preventive Measures
The most efficient way to eliminate carpenter bees is prevention. The primary approach for doing this involves controlling nests and entry holes.
Carpenter bees are opportunistic, using existing cracks and depressions in wood surfaces as their nesting sites. Therefore, it is essential to fill all gaps and pits to deter bees from using them as a breeding ground.
Preventive measures also include painting and staining exterior wooden surfaces to deter bees from building their nests on them. Paints and stains containing citrus extracts, lavender oil, tea tree oil, and almond oil are all natural yet highly effective deterrents.
Wind chimes and wind-noise devices can also keep bees away from your home, particularly if you have a log home that’s vulnerable to carpenter bees.
Pesticides
Carpenter bees can be an annoyance to beekeepers due to their habit of drilling holes into wood, such as fascia boards and eaves, in order to construct nesting sites for their eggs.
To deter carpenter bees from drilling into your home, paint or stain all exposed wood surfaces with an anti-carpenter bee sealant. This is especially important around windows, doors, eaves and decks.
Once the bees have drilled holes in wood, such as eaves or fences, use an insecticide designed for carpenter bees on them. These products can either be sprayed on the entire surface or used as a dust formulation which can be applied inside the bee holes using a bulb applicator.
If you must use a chemical, do so only when there is an active infestation and wear protective equipment like gloves, goggles and mask.
Traps
Carpenter bees are generally not dangerous to humans, but they can cause significant destruction to wood structures by drilling into them. Females bore tunnels into wooden buildings to lay eggs and store pollen and nectar inside for future food sources.
These bees rarely sting, but they can become angry and aggressive if provoked. That’s why it can be challenging to keep them away from your home even when taking all necessary precautions.
You can help prevent carpenter bees from entering your house and wreaking havoc by hanging one or more traps around the property. Additionally, use a long-term residual insecticide like Cyzmic CS or Cyper WSP on areas where they are digging tunnels to kill them quickly.
Carpenter bee traps work by tempting the bee to enter through a hole. The trap’s pheromones then attract other bees, eventually leading them into contact with the adhesive strip on the inside of the trap.
Inspections
One of the most effective ways to prevent carpenter bees from invading your property is having regular inspections conducted. This will enable your pest control professional to detect any past nests and prevent them from returning.
Carpenter Bee Control will conduct an in-depth inspection on the structure of your home and surrounding areas. This includes checking eaves, wood shingles, window and door trim, fascia boards, porches/decks/swing sets/fence posts/wooden lawn furniture/plants.
Carpenter bees that nest around your property can do considerable harm to wood. This is because they chew into the wood to build tunnels for their nests, hollowing out the wood and creating structural damage.