March 5, 2015
We recently have noticed a carpenter bee every so often in the early morning hours or overnight in our home. A total of 6 so far in the last 4 to 6 weeks. Last night I was stung in middle of night. My husband also recently built us a king size log bed frame…. we put that in the room the 2nd week of January. .. & have noticed the bees since… could they be coming out of the bed? I’ve read on here that they can’t survive in home so I wouldn’t think they could but we’re confused as to why we have bees. Our bedroom has a balcony & doors.. I’m unsure where to check & I’m unsure what I’m looking for. I don’t know what the holes look like. Could you please help us find these? I don’t want a bigger problem. .. is it possible that these bees were in the wood already? We polyurethaned the posts.
First, given that spring is just about to arrive, the bees could be coming from nests located on the home or in the bed frame. If it was the middle of the winter, I’d say the bed would have to be the source. But since overwintering bees will be emerging March through May, they could be coming from anywhere.
Second, carpenter bee holes are easy to spot. They’re quite round and smooth, about 1/2″ wide and look like they were drilled by someone using a hand drill. We actually have a couple of good pics posted where you can see exactly what they look like here:
So, why are they appearing in your home? I’d guess one of the two following reasons.
The first would be the bed frame. No doubt carpenter bees live in wood. And if the wood used for the bed had nests, they could very well be alive and kicking inside any holes that were inadvertently filled in and plugged up. You see, we have seen many customers use wood which has nests. Many times the holes are filled in with a wood filler with the “hope” that they’re not active but the reality is that deep inside the nest, adults and eggs are resting. And once the wood is brought into the home and allowed to sit for awhile, the hibernating nest will become active.
Again, we have had many customers report this over the years so it happens quite a lot. Typically its with new furniture they built and recently brought into the home. But it can also happen with firewood and pretty much any kind of lumber that comes from outside and is then brought inside where its nice and warm.
The second option for where they might be coming from would be outside exterior nests. Typically such nests will allow the bees to exit and enter without having to forage inside the home. But many times people will paint their home and during the process, nests will be capped off or sealed using wood filler, silicone or some other filler. Trapped bees will then have no way to escape and essentially be forced to drill new exit holes. And when that happens, we commonly see the new exit holes will end up leading inside the home. So if you did any kind of exterior work to your home and know of any holes that were sealed up, they could very well be the source of this current activity.
In conclusion, the only sure way to stop this unwanted intrusion will be to locate the active nests. Based on how many bees you’ve found, I’d say there is most likely at least 2-4 nests involved. And to deactivate them, you’ll need to dust each one with DRIONE DUST. You can read up on how to use it here:
Drione: www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust
Hand Duster: www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader
Now that you know what the nests look like, I suggest you ask your husband if thinks he has seen any such holes on the wood he used for your bed. You should also see if he remembers seeing any holes on the outside of the home last year and if he did, does he recall having the holes sealed?
If it turns out that he’s not aware of any potential nests on your bed or outside the home, you’ll have to resort to some good old fashioned detective work. It should only take a few minutes to thoroughly inspect your bed to see if there are holes present and if there are, you’ll want to dust them with Drione before sealing them up to insure you kill any remaining bees. And of course, holes found on the home’s exterior should be dusted and sealed using the corks featured in our article as well.
I also suggest you keep a steady eye active on your homes exterior this spring. So maybe 2-3 times a week, you’ll want to walk around the homes exterior looking under any overhang, soffit, etc. to see if you find bees active. Since carpenter bees leave a distinct pheromone where they’re active, if there are any nests on your home they will surely be attracting attention this spring for new bees in the area looking for a place to build a new nest. And if you find any such location, be sure to spray the area with CYPERMETHRIN or NBS REPELLENT to insure they don’t move in and become another unwanted “free loader”.
Cypermethrin: www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
NBS Repellent: www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz
No doubt the bees you’re finding means there is either a nest in the home or on it. And until you get them properly treated with some Drione, I’m afraid the problem will persist.
Give us a call if you need more help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mon-Thur; 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Friday and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday, Eastern Standard Time.
Jonathan
Customer Care
bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
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