Get Rid of Carpenter Bees
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| If you see a bumble bee that has a predominantly black abdomen, it may in fact be a carpenter bee. Carpenter bees are very similar to bumble bees in appearance. The most noticeable difference is that bumble bees have black abdomens covered with yellow hairs, and carpenter bees do not have the yellow hairs. | |||
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The bee to the right is the carpenter bee. |
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A Honeybee/Bumblebee |
A Carpenter Bee | ||
| A carpenter bee infestation is most often indicated by mounds of saw dust on the ground beneath an awning. Other signs are yellow-brown feces that tend to accumulate on the walls near a carpenter bee nest. You may also notice constant noise by a group of bees that don’t bother ever seem to want to sting you. A serious carpenter bee infestation can evidenced by the wood that they have poked with many holes in which to dig their burrows. Below is some practical advice about how to get rid of carpenter bees and how to keep carpenter bees away for good. | |||
Carpenter Bee Control |
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| Plug the carpenter bee entrances with caulk or putty. For whatever reason, carpenter bees will not try to get out of the nest if they’re trapped inside. Many people simply caulk or putty the entrance holes to carpenter bee nests and then simply paint over them. This will save you time and money. |  |
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| Another way to get rid of carpenter bees is to agitate the bees and then use a vacuum to suck them up. This can only be accomplished if the nest is relatively new, and only in the early evening when the bees have returned to the nest and are relatively slow. A new colony will sometimes consist of only 20 or so bees, with one queen. If you notice that the colony is relatively small, you may want to consider waiting outside of the nest with a vacuum cleaner while poking the nest with a stick. Be sure to cover your body with clothing like sweatpants, thick sweats, gloves, and a face mask if you feel the need. Carpenter bees will sting if agitated, but only the females have stingers. |
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Any bee killer spray such as those offered by Raid can be used to get rid of carpenter bees. This is the most common method of carpenter bee control. As with any other bee infestation you should take steps to ensure that you are properly dressed when spraying bees. Make sure that it is late enough in the evening because that is when the bees are sure to be home and are at their slowest. Once you are sure all or most of the bees are in the nest, spray a long stream into the nest and wait to see if any bees come out. Continue spraying until the bees are dead or gone away. |
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| Once you have killed the bees, make sure you keep them away by replacing the wood or covering the damage with putty. Cover the entrance holes in the wood with putty so other bees don’t decide to move in. If you want, you can replace any wood the carpenter bees have damaged— and read the nest set of advice very carefully and take heed… |
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| To make sure carpenter bees don’t invade the outside of your home again, either install vinyl siding or have your home painted regularly. Vinyl siding (or any other non-wood siding) really is the only way you’re going to ensure that carpenter bees don’t damage your home. Note: Wood stain won’t stop carpenter bees. |
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| Killing Bees with Bee Spray VERSUS Killing Bees with Boric Acid |
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Almost every time I or others have had to get rid of bees, it was done with Raid. However, there are other ways to get rid of bees. Boric acid (also known as borax, often sold as a fine powder) is a slow but certain remedy for killing bees that have made a nest in your siding. The reason for using borax dust is because sprays may not reach the hive if they’ve built the nest far enough into the wall. Borax works with bees much the same way it works with getting rid of ants. The bees get the dust on themselves, and they bring it back into the nest with them, eventually poisoning the entire colony. See boric acid products. |
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