I have a problem with carpenter bees (very large black bee). They bore into my Mulberry trees ending up killing the tree. Is there anything I can do to get rid of these pesty bees? I have asked my local nursery here and they don’t know what to tell me.
Filed under how to treat by 
I have carpenter bees in my hollow porch column. It is open at least half way on the top. I have another column that does not appear to have them and also has a half opening on the top. What can I drop down there to kill them. I saw some sawdust on the column and sprayed it with water as I was trying to clean my porch as I had a viewing, my house is up for sale.A few of them stung me and took 2 weeks to stop the itching and puffiness. What can I do? I was going to call an exterminmator but not sure what that would cost.
Filed under bumble bees by
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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??
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.
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.
Filed under bee products by
Recent Comments