- LAST UPDATED: November 29, 2023
Aiming at eliminating carpenter bees from your home may become a dangerous mission. FYI, these insects are far from being plain and understandable. Their control requires much patience and knowledge.
Speaking of which, we made things much easier for you. How? Keep reading and you are going to learn many useful things about effective extermination and its cost, safe removal and traps setting.
Providing easy tips we give you a chance to settle the things down on your own. Why address expensive services if you can become pretty successful in the process of elimination?
Carpenter Bee Control and Rules of Safe Removal
The main question that interests most of you is how to control nasty carpenter bees. What should one start with and how to find out whether the chosen methods were effective?
As a rule, the count-down starts with the identification of the nest that is normally somewhere in the building exterior. The entrances of the nests are holes. They are surprisingly perfect circles of the size of a pencil eraser. Start searching for them below windowsills and eaves, as well as awnings and shingles.
Have you found the nest? Start the elimination process right away.
Top Methods of Carpenter Bees Extermination
Though there are several working alternatives to control, we suggest trying the following ones:
- Vacuum method. Wondering how to eliminate carpenter bees? Use your vacuum cleaner.
The method appears to be just as simple as it sounds. When the sun is nearly down and the insects are in the nest for the rest of the night, insert a vacuum cleaner hose into the hole of the nest and start moving it from side to side. This won’t wake them. Turn the machine on. It will suck out the bees and their queen.
After doing your job, seal the entrance, discard the vacuum bag safely. -
Using kits. Eliminating carpenter bees with a special kit is another popular variant.
A kit normally contains a residual insecticide that must be mixed with water and sprayed. In some cases, it has a duster and dust for dusting into the galleries of insects. There are also variants that include a so-called special duster that features a curved tip for getting the Tempo or D-Fence insecticide dust to galleries.
It is suggested to plug the holes during autumn, as the carpenter bees are active during the summer months.
Plugging them up too soon, they will make another hole. - Sprays. Using liquid insecticides is a pretty nice way out, as well. Most sprays have synthetic pyrethroids that are sprayed on wood surfaces for reducing the insects’ activity. Of course, merely spraying doesn’t lead to complete carpenter bees removal: they will nest in tunnels and chew new holes.
The provided effect may last up to 2 weeks and that is mainly why it is referred to as a short-lived one. The thing is wind and humidity, direct sunlight and rain contribute to the reduction of insecticide effectiveness.
If the material is used inside the gallery or is protected from various environmental conditions, then the results will last up to several months.
As these little flying creatures like drilling hundreds of new holes, controlling them on your own sometimes becomes a real issue. This is when expert extermination becomes handy. A professional can find all holes and pick a suitable product that has already proven its efficiency.
How much does carpenter bees extermination cost? Call your local exterminator and hire a highly trained specialist. He’ll come to your place, conduct a thorough inspection and assess the level of the problem. After completing the assessment he will be able to choose a proven treatment plan to fit your needs. This is the time when both guarantees and pricing are discussed.
Using Carpenter Bee Trap Plans
There are several popular carpenter bee trap plans available for free. They are specially designed to be environmentally free and pretty effective to help you kill the insects.
The feature that unites all possible variations is the fact they should be light-colored (painted wood, light gray plastic or natural pine wood color).
The inside walls must be smooth. When the bee flies inside through a small hole, it is going to fall to the traps’ bottom without any chance to get out.
The trap plans are designed to mimic outdoor conditions. Besides, designs have several important advantages. They:
- never require the owner to paint or stain his/her home
- coincide with natural habitat
- are safe for humans, plants and pets
- are non-toxic
- are 100% environmentally safe
- are characterized by a single-step and easy installation
- possess no harsh smells
- include no residues and chemicals left on wood
- have no measuring chemicals
- feature no spray device of any kind
- can be easily stored
- can be easily removed and disposed of
- are homeowner-friendly
Choose the plans, where the roof is bigger than the box itself. It is a known fact that these bees drill the holes vertically while upside down. This is a general behavior. And the extended roof offers this option.
Carpenter Bee Traps at Lowe’s
A nice strategy to get an already designed trap plan is visiting one of your local hardware stores. There you can search for designs and options that are specially labeled for carpenter bees. We suggest you pay special attention to the label, which should be regarded as the main law while choosing.
In case you are now in search of a reliable store, we suggest addressing carpenter bee traps at Home Depot and Lowe’s. There you are going to get the traps to fit your needs, territory, the number of bees and the intensity of infestation. These locals are widespread and suggest choosing many trap models and designs.
Waste no time on thinking about necessary actions you need to take. Find out how do you get rid of yellow jackets now.
Choosing the Right Carpenter Bee Trap Design
It happens so that today’s market offers a huge range of carpenter bee traps available in different designs and features. Of course, that would be a false thing to state they are a new or original idea, but still, there are many plans available in pictures: they are easy-to-make, use and enjoy the results.
The constructions are so simple that at times it is really hard to believe they are effective. Most models are made of wood and empty plastic bottles.
Once installed, they continually lure bees for years!
As they come in all sizes and shapes, let’s define the most popular designs:
- Option 1 – an opaque acrylic box. It is 9 inches high, 6 inches wide and 2 inches deep. A correct-sized hole is drilled towards the front facing panel’s top. Such traps are usually mounted against the wall, holding nearly 100 dead insects before emptied.
The constructions like this one are about to last for 3-4 years. - Option 2 – a plastic bottle trap. The bees usually get inside the construction and cannot understand how to get out of it. This variant is designed for hanging near the places where the insects are swarming.
If you have many plastic bottles, this option is for you. When the bottle is filled up, it can be quite easily removed and substituted for an empty one. Bottles are usually not included with these traps. - Option 3 – light and unfinished pine. The box is made in the shape of an upside down triangle that is nearly two inches deep and has a backboard. It features three small sized holes drilled into it: one is in front, whereas other ones are one on each of the side panels. The protruding that is on the bottom is the top of a plastic soda bottle that has a coupler that is screwed onto the bottle top’s threads.
There is another soda bottle below. Once the insects enter the box, they side the way down and get into the bottle that can hold about 100 bees.
If there is the need to clean the bottle, remove the bottom one and then screw on an empty one to the coupler. - Option 4 – a trap with jar. The insects are attracted to this trap by sight. As long as they come nearer, they smell the attractant pre-treated in the trap. So, they go inside and cannot get out, even though they try really hard. The construction hangs where they are swarming. The jar can be removed to be emptied.
From the point of view of any buyer, the above-mentioned traps are low-cost solutions that are able to set one free from all carpenter bee problems he/she has. There’s nothing extraordinary or complicated in the construction, nevertheless, the results go far beyond expectations.
Right after the removal you are to think of preventive measures, as they are the keys to keeping these nasty insects from coming back again. Try to remove the wood that has structurally suffered from the infestation. Replace it with pressure-treated, painted and not stained wood. Keep up with the paint job in order to prevent exposure of the wood to infestation.
Having found out about carpenter bee traps and control methods, you are now well-armed and well-informed about possible ways of fighting against the insects that make your life unbearable.
There is no need to wait for further infestation, no need to pay much money for professional help. Try your hand at the process of elimination, and you are going to make sure that it is easier than you used to think.
