PSA on carpenter bees

[Loonhunter]

I live in a log home, aka carpenter bee magnet.
Last year I found an easy way to control the little bastards.

Get some brown paper bags. Fill them with crunched up newspaper. Shape them into a basketball size oval and
tie the top off with twine. The goal here is that it looks like a hornets nest.
Hang them under the eaves or in trees near each side of the house.

The carpenter bees think they’re hornets and they split.
I think I had at least 80% reduction last year.
Those that remain I go after with a tennis racket, or if safe, my pellet gun.
Or you could do like 22 plinkster and shoot them with birdshot out of a revolver.

 

[Seed tick]

Those things are a real pain in the ass!!! Treated wood is just that to these little fuckers! A treat!!! Man I wish there was something that would get rid of these destructive little bastards

 

[ForgeValley]

I wish I had known that trick a few years ago. Those little fuckers almost ate through my front porch.

 

[MtnCreek]

I have traps for them. Looks like a little birdhouse with holes drilled in it. Bee goes in and drops into an empty bottle screwed into the bottom.

 

[MtnCreek]

 

[memyselfi]

I have 2 traps and the damn thing wont go near it

Boric Acid

Boric acid is poisonous to carpenter bees. Spray boric acid in the entry holes of the nest in order to kill their larvae before they hatch (10).

Citrus Spray

Squirt citrus spray on the affected area. Look for a citrus-based spray that is specifically designed for carpenter bees or you can even make it on your own.

Take any of the citrus fruit such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, or lime, and allow it to boil in a shallow pot completely filled with water.

Now, take a spray bottle and fill it with the prepared citrus solution. Spray it on the holes of the carpenter bees.

Like other insects, carpenter bees also have a natural abhorrence to citrus oil

 

[KZP]

I think the trap is more effective if you have the hole pointing downwards. They like to crawl up into things.

 

[MtnCreek]

I've filled a sprayer w/ diesel and soaked the area. They don't like that either. :-D

 

[Driftr76]

I live in a log home, aka carpenter bee magnet.
Last year I found an easy way to control the little bastards.

Get some brown paper bags. Fill them with crunched up newspaper. Shape them into a basketball size oval and
tie the top off with twine. The goal here is that it looks like a hornets nest.
Hang them under the eaves or in trees near each side of the house.

The carpenter bees think they’re hornets and they split.
I think I had at least 80% reduction last year.
Those that remain I go after with a tennis racket, or if safe, my pellet gun.
Or you could do like 22 plinkster and shoot them with birdshot out of a revolver.

I spent a whole weekend whacking those fuckers with a tennis racket while changing out the damaged wood on my garage a couple years ago. Began the battle with a wiffle ball bat.

 

[Seed tick]

I think they breed in my trap! Good info on the boric acid and citrus oil. Thanks. Diesel lol!!!

 

[Mike Casselton]

I live in a log home, aka carpenter bee magnet.
Last year I found an easy way to control the little bastards.

Get some brown paper bags. Fill them with crunched up newspaper. Shape them into a basketball size oval and
tie the top off with twine. The goal here is that it looks like a hornets nest.
Hang them under the eaves or in trees near each side of the house.

The carpenter bees think they’re hornets and they split.
I think I had at least 80% reduction last year.
Those that remain I go after with a tennis racket, or if safe, my pellet gun.
Or you could do like 22 plinkster and shoot them with birdshot out of a revolver.

Bug a salt is your answer

 

[Spblademaker]

Paintball gun with course salt down the barrel. Makes for a fun time.

 

[Wulf]

I think they breed in my trap! Good info on the boric acid and citrus oil. Thanks. Diesel lol!!!

Fill the bottom half inch or so of the trap jar with water and dawn dish soap. Even if they escape the dawn clogs up their little breathing holes and they suffocate

 

[MtnCreek]

Bug a salt is your answer

22lr #12 shot in my kid's chipmunk. Wear safety glasses!

 

[Maggot]

You think Carpenter Bees are bad, try Mining Bees. One year I noticed I had a few bees in holes in the back yard. "Oh, how cute, bee." Say I. The next year half the yard is covered with little holes about the size of a pencil, every square inch or so, and in every ho,,w is a bee. The next year the whole 1/4 acre yard was covered and walking across it was like a swarm of locusts...at least they didnt sting. Imagine a quarter acre of yard like this...

I tried everything...I even put some raw gas in the sprayer and sprayed it on them...the son of a bitch shook it off and flew away. Ive never seen any bug that didnt shrivel when you put gasoline on it. I treated a small section of lawn with gas...didnt seem to phase them.

Finally I got the State Extension Agent who recommended this stuff. Its toxic but it works. Tractor Supply has it a a decent price.

Bifen Bifenthrin 96 Oz Same as Talstar - amazon.com

• www.amazon.com
• › …
• › Personal Care
• › Insect Repellent

 

[vh20]

I've smacked a few dozen with a tennis racquet in the past week. I've put a serious dent in their numbers but there are always a few left.

 

[hollowoutadime]

Taurus SC. It's what Terminex uses for termites. Colorless, odorless, tasteless - I put this around foundations, eaves, you will rarely see anything that files or crawls inside/outside after spraying this stuff outside. Use if judiciously, you don't want to kill honeybees.

Taurus SC Termiticide

Taurus SC Termiticide

www.domyown.com

 

[MtnCreek]

You think Carpenter Bees are bad, try Mining Bees. One year I noticed I had a few bees in holes in the back yard. "Oh, how cute, bee." Say I. The next year half the yard is covered with little holes about the size of a pencil, every square inch or so, and in every ho,,w is a bee. The next year the whole 1/4 acre yard was covered and walking across it was like a swarm of locusts...at least they didnt sting. Imagine a quarter acre of yard like this...
View attachment 7063585

I tried everything...I even put some raw gas in the sprayer and sprayed it on them...the son of a bitch shook it off and flew away. Ive never seen any bug that didnt shrivel when you put gasoline on it. I treated a small section of lawn with gas...didnt seem to phase them.

Finally I got the State Extension Agent who recommended this stuff. Its toxic but it works. Tractor Supply has it a a decent price.

Bifen Bifenthrin 96 Oz Same as Talstar - amazon.com

• www.amazon.com
• › …
• › Personal Care
• › Insect Repellent

Are they the same thing as a cicada killer?

 

[Maggot]

Are they the same thing as a cicada killer?

I dont think so. Theyre not really agressive, just really annoying.

 

[SilentStalkr]

Those things are a real pain in the ass!!! Treated wood is just that to these little fuckers! A treat!!! Man I wish there was something that would get rid of these destructive little bastards

Get yourself and electrified tennis racket!

These work well for me!

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

I've filled a sprayer w/ diesel and soaked the area. They don't like that either. :-D

That only works if you light it on fire after.

 

[vh20]

Taurus SC. It's what Terminex uses for termites. Colorless, odorless, tasteless - I put this around foundations, eaves, you will rarely see anything that files or crawls inside/outside after spraying this stuff outside. Use if judiciously, you don't want to kill honeybees.

Taurus SC Termiticide

Taurus SC Termiticide

www.domyown.com

Should be pretty safe, too. That’s the active ingredient in Frontline, which you put directly on the skin of dogs and cats for fleas. Concentration is stronger in that concentrate though, which makes a huge difference in safety margin.

 

[BoilerUP]

Wiffle ball bat is THE best thing for carpenter bees...neighbors think you're some nutty Jedi wannabe, but its a damn workout!!!

I like bees and all that, but would prefer they bore into all the dead wood in the forest behind my house - not my G-D deck.

 

[brianf]

had carpenter bees eating my kids swingset.

my biggest problem, i was afraid that my little kids at the time would see the gigantic bee get sacred and fall off the tower and get hurt

i tried everything you can imagine, like you guys have

went online and found brians bee butter (since been removed by the EPA), it is the ULTIMATE bee killer in my opinion

you can make it yourself, which i started doing when it got pulled

Just make a .5-2% permethrin with petroleum jelly....stronger the better

you can buy it online, its the same chemical that is in lice treatment so its safe for humans



now for the boring part:

i got insane about bees and im OCD, so i did a bunch of reading

carpenter bees do not ingest the wood, so "coating the wood" does absolutely nothing

they are also like elephants, they remember where they were "born" and return generation after generation

killing a few does nothing because the ones that lived come back next year and fuck up you wood again

they burrow in and make a left or a right and burrow some more

on the way out of the tunnels they lay eggs

the eggs hatch and burrow "out"

that gives you a long gouge/trench in your wood

if the wood is to thin they will burrow to far and make a hole strait through



how to use:

after you make your jelly mix with way to much permithrin because you want to kill these things

fill the hole with the mix, the guy originally put them in a big syringe so you can squirt it right in the whole

the bees go back to the same hole as always and the poison gets on the outside of the bees and kills them in less than one day

you check before and after work and fill the holes etc


i probably had 5-6 vertical holes on each of the boards holding up the sides of the kid slide, plus some other spots on the swing set

fucking bees would crawl right up and id see saw dust on the grass

i bought this stuff and filled each hole as instructed after work

i get home the the next day and go check it out

on the grass under each hole there was either a dead or buzzing/fucked up bee

filled them again that night

home from work...same thing, more dead bees exactly under the holes

since its in the petroleum jelly is water proof and stays where you put it


absolute miracle

filled each hold for 2 summers...no more problems

it really works just as the video shows



ive also used this stuff where i had some bees living in under my soffit, smeared this stuff around the gap..no more bees


most dust works by being fine crystals and when the bees wasps touch it, it gets between the hard shell and acts like sand paper.

kills them by ripping them apart

for killing stuff in the ground i found Sevin liquid/mix works well

load it up and fill the holes and soak the ground, it seeps down and kills them or the hive

tried all the traps and shit...worthless

 

[Maggot]

had carpenter bees eating my kids swingset.

my biggest problem, i was afraid that my little kids at the time would see the gigantic bee get sacred and fall off the tower and get hurt

i tried everything you can imagine, like you guys have

went online and found brians bee butter (since been removed by the EPA), it is the ULTIMATE bee killer in my opinion

you can make it yourself, which i started doing when it got pulled

Just make a .5-2% permethrin with petroleum jelly....stronger the better

you can buy it online, its the same chemical that is in lice treatment so its safe for humans



now for the boring part:

i got insane about bees and im OCD, so i did a bunch of reading

carpenter bees do not ingest the wood, so "coating the wood" does absolutely nothing

they are also like elephants, they remember where they were "born" and return generation after generation

killing a few does nothing because the ones that lived come back next year and fuck up you wood again

they burrow in and make a left or a right and burrow some more

on the way out of the tunnels they lay eggs

the eggs hatch and burrow "out"

that gives you a long gouge/trench in your wood

if the wood is to thin they will burrow to far and make a hole strait through



how to use:

after you make your jelly mix with way to much permithrin because you want to kill these things

fill the hole with the mix, the guy originally put them in a big syringe so you can squirt it right in the whole

the bees go back to the same hole as always and the poison gets on the outside of the bees and kills them in less than one day

you check before and after work and fill the holes etc


i probably had 5-6 vertical holes on each of the boards holding up the sides of the kid slide, plus some other spots on the swing set

fucking bees would crawl right up and id see saw dust on the grass

i bought this stuff and filled each hole as instructed after work

i get home the the next day and go check it out

on the grass under each hole there was either a dead or buzzing/fucked up bee

filled them again that night

home from work...same thing, more dead bees exactly under the holes

since its in the petroleum jelly is water proof and stays where you put it


absolute miracle

filled each hold for 2 summers...no more problems

it really works just as the video shows



ive also used this stuff where i had some bees living in under my soffit, smeared this stuff around the gap..no more bees


most dust works by being fine crystals and when the bees wasps touch it, it gets between the hard shell and acts like sand paper.

kills them by ripping them apart

for killing stuff in the ground i found Sevin liquid/mix works well

load it up and fill the holes and soak the ground, it seeps down and kills them or the hive

tried all the traps and shit...worthless

Are you speaking of diatomaceous earth? They eat it and it cuts them up from the inside.

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

I've filled a sprayer w/ diesel and soaked the area. They don't like that either. :-D

I bet they don't.

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

I have these big SOBs around my house. Cicada Killers.
A badminton racket works real good on them.

 

[MtnCreek]

I should clarify. I just used diesel to spray some rafters in the equip side of the barn. Didn't light fire to it. Using diesel may be a grey area but I'm about 99% sure lighting fire to it is excluded somewhere in my ins policy. I am 100% sure it would stop the carpenter bees though!

 

[hughmac4]

Nice! Gonna give the bag idea a try. Just filled about 10 holes with Great Stuff, which works fine (the curative in that crap kills em good), but we have a lot of raw wood so it will be cool if it works out!

 

[brianf]

Are you speaking of diatomaceous earth? They eat it and it cuts them up from the inside.

That’s one of the “rip” apart powders.
There are 1-2 more I’ve seen as well

 

[MtnCreek]

I have these big SOBs around my house. Cicada Killers.
A badminton racket works real good on them.

They're scary looking and can make a mess, but they are fun to watch. Tough little dudes!

 

[brianf]

Nice! Gonna give the bag idea a try. Just filled about 10 holes with Great Stuff, which works fine (the curative in that crap kills em good), but we have a lot of raw wood so it will be cool if it works out!

Tried great stuff, chewed right through it.
I then had yellow shotgun patterns with holes in them.
I think it’s the same thing, the bees don’t ingest the material.

 

[Srgt. Hulka]

They're scary looking and can make a mess, but they are fun to watch. Tough little dudes!

I agree. I don't mind them too much, and they're pretty much harmless, except they dig holes all around the house. And if you're not prepared for them, they'll make you piss your pants.

 

[padronanniversary]

permethin or biden (last longer about 30 days). buy a stihl or makita back pack blower. does wonders, no nats, bees, wasps, mosquitoes, ticks u name it. i enjoy summer nights in MN now. all my neighbors have these stink bugs every late spring invade, like they hatch inside the walls or something. i’m the only one without them

 

[brianf]

How’s the blower work.
Have property upstate ny, of course bugs and flies galor.

Thanks

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Years ago, we used the 'output' port on our 5 hp shopvac (Craftsman) and hooked the hose to it. Then the 'handle' that has the relief port, and then 3 pipe sections. This is all because of a yellowjackets nest in the peak soffit of the garage. We didn't have a ladder high enough to get there, so after hooking up and turning on, and then pointing the muzzle at the peak under the soffit, My Lady went and poured the 'white powder stuff' that had permethrin/napalm/yellow-cake/red-mercury or WHATEVER the bad-shit is, and it blasted out the end of the vacuum hose like a shotgun. Exact same principle as the fuel venturi in a carburetor.

Absolutely slathered the underside of the soffit. Haven't had a problem with the "flying assholes" there since.

Now, we like bees, and are definite supporters of honey-bees. We only plant flowers for bees through the summer, as on 'only flowers that bees are attracted to' as well as tomatoes and peppers.

But for universal eradication of those "assholes with wings".... there are NO holds barred. Bring it, bitches. And we'll unleash the hounds....

 

[Maggot]

Years ago, we used the 'output' port on our 5 hp shopvac (Craftsman) and hooked the hose to it. Then the 'handle' that has the relief port, and then 3 pipe sections. This is all because of a yellowjackets nest in the peak soffit of the garage. We didn't have a ladder high enough to get there, so after hooking up and turning on, and then pointing the muzzle at the peak under the soffit, My Lady went and poured the 'white powder stuff' that had permethrin/napalm/yellow-cake/red-mercury or WHATEVER the bad-shit is, and it blasted out the end of the vacuum hose like a shotgun. Exact same principle as the fuel venturi in a carburetor.

Absolutely slathered the underside of the soffit. Haven't had a problem with the "flying assholes" there since.

Now, we like bees, and are definite supporters of honey-bees. We only plant flowers for bees through the summer, as on 'only flowers that bees are attracted to' as well as tomatoes and peppers.

But for universal eradication of those "assholes with wings".... there are NO holds barred. Bring it, bitches. And we'll unleash the hounds....

Yellow Jackets are mean little bastards. I get along well enough with honeybees, wasps, and hornets, but YJ's get the treatment.

 

[padronanniversary]

How’s the blower work.
Have property upstate ny, of course bugs and flies galor.

Thanks

the. lower is a decimated back pack blower, imagine a rectangular 3 gallon box on top of it. put water in, then the desired chemical. walk around and literally blow the fluid. for mosquitos u want to hit the underside of leaves where they rest during the day. keep in mind some insects will die immediately but others take 10 mins or so. I hit my garage door light fixtures with this stuff and with the lights on in the morning there are piles of bugs. funny thing is the frogs eat the bodies but leave the legs. doesn’t seem like it effects the frogs and toads, they got big last year. the liquid vaccum feeds via tube into the front of the blower nozzle.


don’t even waste ur time with a fogger or those lawn repellant things. $20-$30 of bifen or permethin lasts 2 summers. just make sure you wear the appropriate ppe for inhalation

 

[brianf]

Thanks

 

[Bender]

Brake cleaner will drop them out of the air as fast as a rock falling out of your hands.

Lots of fun.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Had ground bees one year.
Had nothing better to do so filled a canister vacuum with the suckers.
Sort of fun.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

the. lower is a decimated back pack blower, imagine a rectangular 3 gallon box on top of it. put water in, then the desired chemical. walk around and literally blow the fluid. for mosquitos u want to hit the underside of leaves where they rest during the day. keep in mind some insects will die immediately but others take 10 mins or so. I hit my garage door light fixtures with this stuff and with the lights on in the morning there are piles of bugs. funny thing is the frogs eat the bodies but leave the legs. doesn’t seem like it effects the frogs and toads, they got big last year. the liquid vaccum feeds via tube into the front of the blower nozzle.


don’t even waste ur time with a fogger or those lawn repellant things. $20-$30 of bifen or permethin lasts 2 summers. just make sure you wear the appropriate ppe for inhalation

Your reference to PPE here describes this perfectly in one word:

GHOSTBUSTERS

(who you gonna call?)