I live in North Texas, and recently returned from a vacation in South Alabama. My brother-in-law gave me a Cedar stump with roots, that he had on a wood pile for about 40 years. The piece is beautiful, and I will be filling the holes produced by Carpenter Bees (Alabamians call them Driller Bees) with a special filler.
I am so excited about beginning this project; however, I have a problem….. the Carpenter Bees are still alive! We didn't know this when we, fortunately, we bagged the piece of wood in huge garbage bags and put it into the trunk to bring home to Texas! I had orignally suggested putting it in bags in the back seat of the car!!!! Glad I listened to my husband when he said we should put it in the trunk.
After getting it home, we noticed a couple of the bees dead from the heat of the trunk, and shortly thereafter, the Carpenter Bees started pouring out (after spraying the entire stump with Wasp/Hornet Killer. That day, 9 came out. Days following, a few more came out (my first reaction was 'oh my gosh, I hope none got away to breed with something here, and create a monster of some kind').
So, now, I think they are all dead, but after reading your site, I am really afraid tht there may be eggs and in the Spring, I may have them here and that they will cross-breed with something here, and more so, will they attack me while crafting on this Cedar stump? Yikes!
What should I do?
Thanks, for any advice!
Old tree stumps can be used for so many projects in and around the home and I'm sure this one must be special. To have survived some 40 years outside is a testament to Cedar. Hopefully it's got enough of it's original character in tact and once the bees are gone, you'll be able to use it either inside or outside the home without presenting undue risk or hazard to you or your family.
It sounds like you've already read our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE which explains the life cycle of this bee. As you're learning, their egg chambers can hold several young bees which will can take up to a year to fully develop and leave. As I see it, there are surely several nests in this old stump but just how many left inside is anyone's guess. If you wish to finish it off right away and not have to worry about emerging adults at some later date, there are two things you can do.
First, treat any holes you want to cover up with the DRIONE DUST we have listed in our article. The 1/2" CORKS we show for sealing the holes can be pushed down just deep enough so a wood filler can be applied over the top of them allowing you to cosmetically hide any hole now visible. In theory, you should be able to treat and seal any visible hole you find. This would then allow you to stain, varnish or do whatever you had in mind with the stump and not have to worry about new exit holes being drilled from emerging young still not fully developed. As explained in several posts, you don't want to stuff these holes with wood filler. This will essentially trap the emerging bees and they'll be forced to drill new holes making a mess of any finishing work you do so be sure and leave the nests open filled with Drione so they'll die as soon as they hatch. But the real key here is whether or not you can "see" all the nests. I've seen stumps where some holes are clearly visible but others are not that easy to find. In many cases the end result is the few that are missed will lead to more bee activity at some point in the future. Now if you were intending on using it outside, this might not be a problem. But if you want to keep the stump in the home, there is a risk of bees emerging in the future so unless you're 100% sure you get all their nests, don't keep it inside just yet.
Second, after treating any and all nests you can find with the Drione, storing it for at least one year would be the clincher for safe using. If you treated it good now and then stored it away in your garage sealed up tight in some plastic, any nests you missed would release their contents and the emerging bees would surely die. If the stump is tightly wrapped during this time, the emerging adults wouldn't be able to reproduce or live long so there would be no chance of reinfestation. I'd say that by this time next July, the stump could safely be removed and used however you want.
Lastly, if you did finish it and planned on keeping it outside somewhere, be sure to use something like the CYPERMETHRIN or the INSECT REPELLENT sprayed on it to protect it from further nests being drilled. Alternatively, if you plan on keeping it inside the home for use, there shouldn't be a problem with new bees finding it to nest.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
1/2" Corks: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Filed under how to get rid of by 
Do ground bees damage house?
Are all carpenter bees about 1/2 inch big?
GROUND BEES are a somewhat "generic" term used to describe a wide range of bees and wasps that nest in the ground. There are hundreds of species that nest in this location and though some can cause problems on or around the home, none can do damage like CARPENTER BEES. Remember, Carpenter Bees are literally drilling holes through siding, soffits and other exposed wood where they find it vulnerable. These holes are for nesting; the bees aren't eating the wood.
Ground wasps and bees are actually nesting in the ground and even in cases where there are thousands of such nests, I've never seen it get so extreme that it poses a hazard to or undermines a structure. So even with the wide range of bee and wasp species that could be nesting in the ground, I think it's safe to say very few if any might do damage to homes or other structures.
Regarding the size of carpenter bees; this does vary on region and species. Here in the United States, we have a few species which are most common. These range in size from 1/2" to 1.5". However, the most common adult males range from 3/4" to 1" and females of these common species will be slightly bigger.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Bumble Bee Control: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/bumblebees.html
Ground or Digger Wasp Control: http://www.bugspray.com/articles99/diggerwasps.html
Carpenter Bee Control: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Filed under bee question by
Do carpenter bees cause damage to homes and decks if not treated?
In nature, carpenter bees serve a special purpose in that they recycle dead wood. Around the home, this practice is both destructive and costly. Man (home builders) have learned to protect wood with various treatments including paint, stain, chemicals and other agents. In general these do a fine job of staving off unwanted insect and wood destroying mold. But over time most all these treatments will weaken and insects are quick to find such weak spots. Once identified these locations can be exploited and though most insects seem to prefer "raw" wood over wood with a finish, there is no doubt even a painted surface can be vulnerable to mother nature.
To combat the ever present and very real potential for damage from any wood desctructive pest, man has developed a wide range of pesticides. We are distributors of many such products and over the years have learned which work best for certain pests. When it comes to carpenter bees, they no doubt do not like CYPERMETHRIN. When sprayed early in the season onto wood where bees are active, they'll move away and in general stay away. Most areas will need at least two treatments per season; some homes require more to hold off this potentially destructive pest. We have also learned the INSECT REPELLENT discussed at the end of our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE can be a great additive used in paint and stain to help fight this cause. Applications done this way can last a year or two so the need for spraying Cypermethrin can be put on hold for awhile.
So to answer your question above: "Do carpenter bees cause damage to homes and decks if not treated?", the answer is no doubt they can. Of course we can't say with 100% certainty they will but no doubt untreated wood is likely to be attacked when left outside. This applies to wood in the forest, around the home or on the home itself. But more importantly, even wood with a painted or stained surface – what we would call "treated" – can be damaged. So it's important to understand if any of these invasive and wood destroying insects like carpenter bees, carpenter ants, termites, powderpost beetles, pine borers, wood wasps or some other decides it want's "in" on your wood, the only thing that is likely to stop it will be a chemical pesticide treatment.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Carpenter Bee Control Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Filed under wood deck by
This is the first year that I have seen these pesty carpenter bees. We have wood stored downstairs under an overhang, we noticed a hole that has been made by the bees. What should we do? Should we destroy the wood? Should we plug the holes? I am lost as there is a huge pile of wood we use to burn in the winter, but if we have to we will get rid of it. Any ideas?
As our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE explains, carpenter bees exist in nature as a kind of recycler. Your wood pile is exactly why they exist; in the forest they would be drilling through it turning the trunk and limbs to sawdust therefore allowing the cellulose to filter back into the earth. But when we're trying to preserve such wood to use at a later date, the bee's natural behavior will come in direct conflict with our effort. To stave off their attacks, there are a few things you can do.
First, dusting any existing holes you see with DE DUST will render it dead and prevent further damage and nest growth. This can be done any time and will not affect the wood in any way now or when it comes time to burn it. In other words, the dust can be burned with the wood and not pose a hazard to anyone close to the fire.
Second, the wood in the wood pile can be treated to prevent further drilling. The best product for treating wood piles is the INSECT REPELLENT. This is not a pesticide but is merely a repellent. It won't kill anything nor would treated wood pose a threat to anyone close to the fire when being burned. I expect you'll need to spray at least twice from now till the fall/winter; 3-4 applications would be the norm for most active sites to keep them away effectively.
Here are direct links to the products and information posted above:
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
DE Dust: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/dust/mothers-earth-diatomaceous-dust
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Filed under wood bees by
I have a Playground that has Carpenter Bees boring hole in it. I can't use any thing that might make a child sick if exposed to it. Any suggestions?
When applied with the kids away from the area, none of the products featured in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL article will get anyone sick. In fact, there will be little chance of any exposure. Just follow the safety guideline videos on each product page which details all you need to do to both use and store all our products safely.
If you still aren't convinced, go with one of the organic solutions posted here:
http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/carpenter-bees/non-toxic-carpenter-bee-control-options.html
If you have further questions or concerns, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290 during regular hours and one of our tech reps will be able to assist. Here is a link to our Carpenter Bee Control article; at the end of the article there are links to all the products discussed as well:
Filed under safety concerns by
Just wondered if there was a sprayable liquid that could be put through a 2-3 gallon sprayer??? Our campgrounds in northern Ohio has them boring into our picnic tables. tks
As explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, these bees don't really discriminate when it comes to wood. Picnic tables are commonly made from pine, redwood and cedar and all three will be drilled out and bored into for nesting if left untreated. Fortunately there are some sprays available to stop the damage and nests from forming.
If you intend on painting or staining these tables anytime soon, be sure to add some of the NBS INSECT REPELLENT to your choice of finish. This treatment will last 1-2 years and will stop wood destroying pests from trying to use your tables for nests. NBS isn't a pesticide so it won't kill anything. It only works as a repellent. Another product you can spray is the CYPERMETHRIN. This product is a pesticide and as such will last at least a month and it will effectively repel and kill any insects coming in contact with treated surfaces. So these are the two options we suggest both of which can help keep boring bees away.
However, as explained in our article, you'll first need to dust active nests with DRIONE before spraying. This is critical as the spray alone will not take care of the problem; it's really only used to repel the bees and stop new nests.
Here are direct links to the products and information mentioned above:
Carpenter Bee Control: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Drione: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Filed under spray by
Every spring and summer, I get a yellowish type stain on my window located near my porch. I have a wood house and I attract carpenter bees. Above the windows, there are roof vents. It is possible that the bees feces are the culprit? I can send you a picture if you like. Also, what can I spray in these vents to stop this from happening?
It would be helpful if you could send a photo. We get lots of questions on this problem and a good image could prove helpful at some time in the future.
Based on the time of year (spring), it's quite common for people to see yellow stains on siding, windows and other areas of the home where carpenter bees are active. In most cases the stains are in fact carpenter bee feces. Pollen is their main food source and if nest access holes are close to the siding, many times their feces will fall directly onto some part of the house. The result is a yellow "streak" which can have some other colors mixed in. It sounds like this is what you're seeing.
If you review our online CARPENTER BEE CONTROL article, you'll learn the best way to treat nests is with some DRIONE DUST. If you aren't able to see their nests, I suggest you take a little time to watch the area where you see the stains. If you sit long enough from mid morning to mid day, chances are high you'll note some bees coming and going. If you see them you'll no doubt learn their access points. Many times they'll crawl through small cracks in the siding or around attic and soffit vents so I'm sure their nest is close to where you think it might be. Once identified, dust these passageways and you'll stop that nest for sure. This treatment will work even if you cannot treat the nests directly.
To stop future nests from forming spray these same areas with the CYPERMETHRIN discussed in our article. It's highly repellent to bees and wasps and will keep them off treated surfaces. They'll immediately detect it's presence and move away from your home. You may need to do a few treatments this spring but in general one or two is all that's needed for the season.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Filed under bee droppings by
I have two bees that I believe are carpenter bees who are trying to nest in my outdoor swing. My swing is metal with cushions. On the right and left edges of the swing, there is a gap (like a tunnel) between where the metal pole is and the material that wraps around the pole. I see them going in there and think they are nesting. I am deathly afraid of bees and wasps and want my swing back!! any suggestions? I didnt think carpenter bees nested anywhere other than wood.
You are right; carpenter bees will generally take advantage of exposed and vulnerable wood by drilling out holes in which to nest. However, they also recycle or use old holes from year to year without drilling new ones. It's quite possible some bees have found the gap you described above and are treating it like an old nest. If it measures close to a carpenter bee nest in width and length. it could be just the right size to make them happy and content. I know of several wasps and bees that will readily move into such spaces and no doubt carpenter bees will if they find them.
Fortunately treatment would be easy. If you refer to our CARPENTER BEE ARTICLE, you'll see we mention the use of dusts for treating their holes and nests. In this case, the PT-230 DUST would be ideal. One treatment should do the trick. Get them in the evening when they are sure to be inside the nest and simply stick the tube applicator of the dust in the hole and squeeze it on for 1-2 seconds. That will no doubt take care of the problem. I also recommend treating any other gaps you can see as they're likely to be seen and used if left unprotected.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Carpenter Bee Control: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
PT-230 Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Filed under outdoor swing by
Hi,
Cutting to the chase, what do I need to counteract what appears to be carpenter bee activity? I have found several, almost perfectly spherical holes in various logs, ranging from a quarter inch deep to two or more and beyond. Please advise. I appreciate it.
Thank you, J.
As explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, wood structures tend to get special attention from certain insects and carpenter bees are one of them. Log cabins in particular are extra attractive and if left unprotected, holes will be drilled in which the bees will live. To counteract the nesting, there are two things detailed in our article.
The first is to treat any existing nest with DRIONE DUST. I'm not sure you actually have existing nests thus far; based on the depths of the holes you described above you might be acting early enough to avoid the dust treatment. But if you find any holes a foot or two deep, get them dusted and plugged with our 1/2" CORKS and they'll be properly handled for sure. Remember, the dust is excellent to use for cracks and crevices so there are plenty of uses for it on the log cabin one way or the other. It works on a wide range of pests and when used in the spring can go a long way as a preventive treatment.
Next, spray with CYPERMETHRIN to prevent any future drilling. Treat as needed but in general once every two weeks will be expected during the peak bee activity time. Now once you get past the first 1-2 months, activity should be controlled for most of the year but keep watch in the fall as they might get active then too.
Lastly, if you intend on staining or using any other log treatment at some point in the future, be sure to add some NBS INSECT REPELLENT ADDITIVE. This is added directly to the tank mix and works like the Cypermethrin but lasts a lot longer. It's ability to provide a long residue makes it worth using when treating logs and in some cases can last 2 years making it worth using.
Here are direct links to the products and information mentioned above:
Carpenter Bee Control: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
1/2" Plugs: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Stain Additive: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Filed under log cabins by
Last year I got your drione dust and treated several holes in my soffit overhang and facia boards. I sealed them with wood filler good and tight so I know no moisture got inside. I also sprayed with cypermetrin and didn't see anything till now. Then yesterday I saw a new hole. I don't know how they drilled it so fast but it's really deep. I figured I had better spray the area to stop new nests but as I went to start spraying, I could hear a buzzing sound and about a foot over there was another new hole being drilled but this bee was coming out of the wood and not going in? I watched it cut through the wood and then fly off somewhere. I can see some holes from last year are close by about a foot to the other side but I know I treated them good with drione so what's happening? Are they nesting somewhere else I missed?
I suspect this could be related to the extensive sealing you did. In your message you state you "sealed them with wood filler" which leads me to believe you didn't use our corks to seal treated nests as recommended. As explained in our CARPENTER BEE ARTICLE, the corks serve two purposes in that they first seal the nest so moisture can't get inside and secondly they allow the nest corridors to stay open and accessible. This way emerging bees will crawl through the DRIONE DUST and die after they hatch from their protective egg chambers. This is vital to controlling the nests. If you sealed the nest and filled the tunnels with wood filler, the emerging bees this year would be forced to exit elsewhere. The only way they know to do this is to drill new holes which would bypass your Drione treatment. The net result would be a new population with new nests this spring and it sounds like this may be happening already.
This time around I suggest you dust the new holes you see with Drione but this time don't seal them all with wood filler. Instead use the 1/2" CORKS we recommend as this will keep the tunnels of the nest open and accessible for any bees hatching from egg chambers later this year or next year depending on their cycle. No doubt the wood filler does a good job of sealing the nest but the reality is that it does too good of a job. Remember, Drione is the dust of choice because it will last 6-12 months. But if you effectively seal off all the tunnels you treated so the bees can't access the treatment, what's the point? By doing this you have effectively taken away the very feature which makes the Drione such a good product choice. Instead leave the tunnels open so the Drione can work it's magic.
At this point I also recommend you treat with CYPERMETHRIN to insure no new holes are being drilled from the outside in. And after dusting the holes you do find, cork them and make sure you inspect daily for the next 4 weeks as this is the prime time for them to emerge and begin their summer patterns. If you see any new holes form, dust them accordingly. Follow this routine throughout the entire spring and I'm sure you'll be able to break their cycle once and for all.
Here are direct links to the products and information listed above:
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Corks: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Filed under wood putty by
do carpenter bee's or bumble bee's spray feces? We have what look like big carpenter bee's that come back every year and make holes up near our roof on our house. There's also sprayed (what looks like feces) all over the top of our house. I heard that carpender bees do this to know where to come back every year is this true? If we get ride of the "feces" spray will they go away??
If you read through our CARPENTER BEE ARTICLE, you'll learn these bees drill through wood to created nests. This drilling will many times create a sawdust by product which can "leak" down siding giving the appearance of droppings or bee feces. Additionally, bees which remain active in one location will definitely defecate as they drill. Feces will also be "pushed out" or disposed through exit holes. Many times this disposal process will cause the feces to trickle down the house siding which is what you're no doubt seeing.
Regarding these bees returning each spring; females will reuse old nests from year to year and their offspring will most likely drill new nests close by. As explained in this post:
http://www.carpenterbees.com/bee-life/carpenter-bee-life-cycle.html
the vast majority of nests will be occupied all winter by hibernating females and males just waiting for the weather to get warm enough for them to emerge and begin their summertime activities. In most areas of the United States this will start in April-May and the activity will continue through Oct-Nov.
Getting rid of the feces will no doubt make the home look nicer but it will in no way influence the local bees nesting in your home. Females in heat are what attract male bees as well as prime nest real estate. If the siding and soffits of your home are left unprotected, the wood will release odors which are conducive to insect infestations and in doing so will many times attract wood loving pests like carpenter bees. At this point it's imperative for you to treat existing holes with DRIONE DUST and then seal them up with the 1/2" PLUGS featured in our article. And the best sprays you can apply to prevent new nesting will be either the CYPERMETHRIN or the INSECT REPELLENT PAINT ADDITVE/SPRAY CONCENTRATE. As you're already seeing, failure to follow these suggestions will just allow the problem to propagate from year to year.
Here are direct links to the products and information listed above:
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Cork Plugs: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Filed under bee droppings by
I am a professional woodworker and am trying to help a client with a serious carpenter bee infestation. Based on what I have read on your very informative site, I know personally that Drione works great. I am concerned that the client's deck is too far gone and needs to be replaced. I have suggested IPE as a very good replaement wood because of it hardness. Do you know if carpenter bees can attack IPE? I have some benches that I made on their deck made from Iroke, which is much harder that pine but not as hard as IPE. The benches have not been damaged by the bees.
It will be a big investment for them so I want to have as much confidence in my recommendation as possible. Thanks for your help.
I can't say I've any specific information or data concerning the use of IPE over standard pine, redwood or cedar. However, I can tell you what I've seen happen over the years regarding carpenter bee infestations. In general, my observations reflect a result which is based more on the general state of the wood involved and not so much the species. Let me explain.
For one thing, carpenter bees do a good job at locating weak wood. What I mean by weak is the wood is seemingly in a state lending itself to easy to access. For carpenter bees, easy access generally means untreated and vulnerable. No doubt a good layer of paint is a kind of protectant and wood which is painted is less likely to be drilled compared to wood which is unfinished. Stronger still and less likely to fall under attack by carpenter bees is wood which is both painted and treated with either CYPERMETHRIN or INSECT REPELLENT. No doubt either treatment on painted or unpainted wood will stop any nests from happening for sure when kept active and done "in season".
So to answer your question; I don't think the species of wood is nearly as important as the condition of the wood itself. In this case, if you were to install IPE and the local bees found a weak spot, I'm sure they'll take advantage. I recently observed a pile of rough sawn hardwood – mostly oak and hickory – that lay in a giant pile in the woods. the logs were squared and stacked 10 feet high; each log was 10 feet long. This was quite a valuable stock of logs and one you would imagine should be quite resilient to the common wood predators such as carpenter bees, carpenter ants, termites and powderpost beetles. Yet I couldn't help but notice what appeared to be carpenter bee holes. Upon closer observation they were in fact drilled out. I counted some 8 holes randomly located on the logs which had only laid out for 1.5 years. I also found carpenter ant activity as well as powderpost beetles. My point is simple; contrary to popular belief, carpenter bees will no doubt drill into oak and hickory if available and vulnerable. Yet do we see oak and hickory readily used for decking or other outside construction? Probably not as much as pine. So it only makes sense that we shouldn't be seeing nearly as much of it infested with CARPENTER BEES and are therefore more likely to be falsely lead into thinking such woods aren't vulnerable to their attack. This would be a grave mistake. And I think the same logic applies to IPE.
So in summary, I'm sure using a harder wood compared to pine is always going to prove to get less insect activity if a side by side comparison of the two were scientifically done. But would the less "insect attracting" wood validate it's use (cost)? I'm not able to answer that question. Much like the question of "how much insurance should I get", this is a personal choice and one only the homeowner themselves can make. I do know a good dose of Cypermethrin or NBS Concentrate each spring when carpenter bees are most active will protect any species of wood and that such treatments are cheap compared to having to replace decks every few years due to insect damage. So if cost is the true unit of measure, it only stands to reason using the less costly wood but properly treating and protecting from year to year would be a better way to obtain the objective. And more importantly, building with IPE and then leaving it untreated and unprotected would be a poor recommendation under any condition if the goal is to prevent insect activity.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned in my response to your questions:
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Carpenter Bee Control: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Filed under wood deck by
I need the powder that kills the carpenter bees – it was used once before on my deck by a exterminator. Is this the same powder? The "mother earth" powder?
Thank you.
We've got three powders that are commonly used by pest control companies. All three will work well. The main one featured in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL article is is the DRIONE DUST. It's mostly silica gel with some pyrethrin and used to be the main powder used overall. But due to supply issues, Drione has been somewhat hard to get and it's price has jumped up quite a bit. During this time two other dusts have become good substitutes and should perform almost as well.
The first one is PYGANIC DUST. Mostly made of silica gel, Pyganic is very close to Drione in that it's got pyrethrin too. The one main difference is in the lack of synergists which prevents Pyganic from working as acutely compared to Drione. But overall residual should be similar if not the same and side by side, the average person wouldn't notice much if any difference between the two.
The second viable option is the MOTHERS EARTH DUST. Comprised of diatoms, this powder is a good desicant but it doesn't contain any pyrethrin. Without this vital ingredient, Mothers Earth won't provide a good flush or knockdown compared to both Drione and Pyganic. But will it work? Yes. When applied directly into the bee nests like we discuss in our article and what you probably had done some time ago on your deck, the dust will last a long time if it's sealed up with our 1/2" PLUGS. This will keep it active long enough to deal with hatching eggs which are always a risk in these nests.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Pyganic Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/item/pyganic_dust.html
Mothers Earth Dust: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/dust/mothers-earth-diatomaceous-dust
1/2" Plugs: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html
Filed under bee products by
I've read a lot of info on the internet about bumblebees and the ones we are having trouble with aren't nesting as the experts suggest. They are hovering around the eve of our porch roof which means they are constantly very close to the door we come in and out of. They are huge, and we've seen at least 3 adult size bumblebees. When they come around each other they seem to fight and chase each other away. The problem is we never see them land. They will be there hovering all day, every day, as long as the weather is warm (spring through summer). It's crazy! We've tried typical bee spray and that has no affect on them. We can not see any sort of hive to treat. We will try to find the Bee Freeze product you talked about because I think if we can get rid of these three large bumblebees, maybe we won't have any more trouble. We've been in this house for 11 years, and we've only had this issue for the past 2 summers. What else can we do? Do you have any advice? I am concerned my children will get stung, or the bumblebees will come inside when someone enters, and I want to prevent either of these two things from happening. Thank you in advance for your reply. C.B.
I strongly suspect what you're seeing are in fact carpenter bees and not bumble bees. If you take some time to read our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn all about this species which is very different from bumble bees.
One thing you'll learn in the article is the ones you're seeing are most likely males waiting on females. I'm saying this because seeing them tumble fight in mid air is very common this time of year. To repel them, you'll have to spray with either the CYPERMETHRIN or the INSECT REPELLENT. A good dose of either on the porch up around the eve where you mostly see them should repel them from the area.
Here are direct links for this information and products mentioned above:
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray
Filed under bumble bees by
I saw the Drione video and will use that product for a rather large Carpenter Bee problem on my deck. I was wondering if attracting birds to the immediate area, via a bird feeder/house, would the birds "feed" on any new bees and possibly serve as a preventative measure?
The quick answer is no, birds won't feed on bees. I'm sure there is a specie of bird somewhere that will but in general, it's not accepted or even known about as occurring to any extent that would have a significant impact. Having kept bird feeders over many years in many regions of the United States, I can assure you I've seen no cases where the presence of birds detracted or effectively repelled bees or wasps. In fact, I've seen the two live side by side many times. I've owned bird houses that been invested with bees. I've also been called out to treat many bee and wasp nests which were in bird houses! That's right, wasp and bee nests in bird houses! It always amazed me how close the two can live without either seeming to care about the other and in none of these cases did I see birds getting stung or birds eating the bees. To me I'd say it's more of a "birds don't much notice the bees" relationship and not a prey/predator effect like you'd think.
That means if you wish to repel carpenter bees from your property after treating with DRIONE DUST, you'll need to employ either the CYPERMETHRIN or the INSECT REPELLENT sprays we have listed in our CARPENTER BEE ARTICLE. Both will work; the Cypermethrin will be a true chemical they can't stand and if they forage onto treated surfaces will in turn kill themselves. The Insect Repellent won't kill anything but it does a decent job of repelling new insects like bees and wasps from coming around.
Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:
Drione: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html
Cypermethrin: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html
Insect Repellent: http://www.bugspray.com/item/nbs_30_paint_additive_insect_repellent.html
Carpenter Bee Article: http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control
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