May 24, 2015
I have a redwood fence so infected with carpenter bees that I intend to take it down and either burn it or take it to the dump. There was major bee activity this spring and now is very quiet (only three or four flying around). Should I take it down now or wait until late fall? I plan to replace the fence and possibly treat the new fence with Drione.
If you review our online article, you’ll learn more about this bee and its biology so you will understand what’s happening. You’ll also learn about what to use and why but here’s a brief summary of whats happening and what you should do.
First and foremost, carpenter bees are never “quiet”. Females are active from spring through fall and though males seem to thin out and disappear as spring turns to summer, the nests are still very much occupied and “developing”. This is important to understand.
Basically what this means that when you go to remove the fence, there will be active bees who won’t appreciate the process. So inside each hole you find there will be 1-2 bees but also lots of developing eggs. And when you go to remove their homes, I suspect many will get aggravated so be prepared.
Now when would this happen? Pretty much anytime whether you do the removal now, in the summer or the fall. In fact the only time they might not get active would be in the middle of winter and that’s only true if you reside where it gets cold. At least cold enough to cause them to go dormant.
In our article you’ll learn of two products to use for controlling and preventing carpenter bees. The first is DRIONE DUST. This should be applied to active nests so anywhere you find holes drilled in the fence, you’d want to apply the Drione. Use a HAND DUSTER to do the application and after treating, let the dust sit for a day before capping the hole with a CORK.
Drione: https://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust
Hand Duster: www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader
Corks: https://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/equipment-plugs/cork-12
So if you want to avoid direct conflict with any bees that are nesting in the fence, you should treat with some Drione now before removing it.
Now here’s some more news on what to expect..
Since you’ve clearly had this activity for a year or more, the area has no doubt been marked as a good place to drill nests. This means as soon as you install a new fence, if its made with any kind of wood carpenter bees like they will come around and start drilling new nests.
So to prevent this from happening, be sure to use the CYPERMETHRIN once its installed. You mentioned you might “possibly treat the new fence with Drione” but in fact thats only for treating established nests. To prevent bees from drilling in the first place, spray the Cypermethrin 1-2 in the spring and 1-2 in the fall and you’ll avoid having the use the Drione.
Cypermethrin: www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
For more details on this bee and the recommended treatments, read our article here:
Carpenter Bee Control: www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control.html
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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Filed under FENCE WITH CARPENTER BEES