There are many pests that can drill into trees. The short list includes BORERS, POWDERPOST BEETLES, WOOD WASPS and CARPENTER BEES. Regardless of what insect drilled the holes, once the tree sustains this type of injury it will become susceptible to all kinds of problems including fungus (wood rot), disease and infestations from other insects.

In fact I’ve seen where Borers have drilled some holes and then the holes are taken over by CARPENTER ANTS. I’ve also seen where Carpenter Bees drill holes which are then taken over by Honey Bees. Most any tree will routinely serve host to a wide range of insects and in some cases this role can prove deadly. Hopefully the infestation you have is not that bad.

To treat the problem, you’ll want to use a dust we sell called DRIONE. Fast working and easy to apply, Drione is ideal for this type of job because it will permeate up and into all the voids this nest may contain. Unlike a liquid or aerosol spray, Drione is more like smoke. When applied using a HAND DUSTER, the Drione will drift all through the nest killing all the adults, eggs and larvae it contacts. Treatments can last many months and if you seal the holes up 2-3 days following the treatment, you can expect the Drione to last a long time.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Bee Control:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Hand Duster:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

No need to be concerned. If you read through our CARPENTERBEE CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn these holes lead to nests which have egg chambers. In most cases the holes go straight up and then “turn” in one direction or another. In fact at the very beginning of our article there is a picture which depicts this exact pattern. This is very much by design and instinctively bees do this. For what reason it’s unclear but most likely this enables the nest to be user friendly and probably insures a higher success rate for reproduction.

In our article you’ll also learn a lot about the DRIONE DUST we recommend. One of it’s features is that it does a great job of “floating” all around any void where it’s applied. This is key to it reaching deep into the nest no matter how large the ones you have on your pergola might be. Drione also does a great job of adhering to the surfaces where it’s applied. And most impotantly, only a little bit is really needed to achieve success so even if some does fall out, it’s most likely the vast majority will remain in the nest and do just fine.

In summary, a good dusting will no doubt get the entire chamber well treated. Leave it open for at least a day and then seal using the CORKS we have listed in our article. This will insure there will be plenty of dust around for when the hatching pupae emerge whether that’s this year or next.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenterbee Control Article:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

Drione Dust: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Corks:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html

Thanks.

Most likely CARPENTER bees. You can read more about them in our article which highlights the products needed to both control active nests and repel them so more don’t come around. Basically you’ll need to dust existing nests with drione and then spray with CYPERMETHRIN to keep them away. And since you have a log home about to be stained, I strongly suggest you get some NBS STAIN ADDITIVE. This product is mixed with the stain and applied to work as a repellent providing long lasting residual action.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Bee Control Article:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

drione Dust:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin

NBS:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/additive/NBS-paint-additive-16-oz

Actually they are carpenter bees. As our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE explains, they drill through wood to build nests. In these nests they stay all winter and every spring, they’ll emerge to mate and make new nests. The poop you see is from them and many times is actually the wood pulp they create when drilling though some excrement may be mixed in with it.

In our article you’ll learn the males fly around looking for females and this quest by them is never ending for a month or two. They don’t sting and for the most part are harmless. But females can sting and the damage they do can be significant. I suggest you start treating with the DRIONE DUST we have listed in our article if you want to stop this from happening as I expect it will get worse and worse each year with more returning and thus more damage being done until you stop them.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Bee Control:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/dust/drione-dust

CORKS are only needed to enable the DRIONE DUST to last as long as possible. In fact there is no doubt the Drione would solve your problem and even without corking the bee nests you’ll still get fairly long protection. Here’s why.

When treating carpenter bee nests out in the open, leaving the treated hole as is will allow lots of air flow which in turn will depreciate the treatment. Instead of 6-12 months of residual, you may only get 1-3 months. The corks can also serve as markers so you’ll know which nests have been treated, which ones still need to be dusted and which holes have been newly drilled.

When treating up under soffits, facia boards and other wood trim bees will sometimes access, it’s many times impossible to dust directly into their nests. But because many of these entry ways will be so well protected from you, they’ll also be well protected from the weather. In cases like this we’ve seen where dusting can last 3-6 months no problem and sometimes even longer. I suspect this would be the case in your situation.

In summary, there is no need for worry or concern about not being able to cork their holes. In fact, if you were to dust once in the spring and once in the fall, I’m sure you’ll be able to keep this pest under control and avoid costly damage to the rest of the house that’s sure to start if you allow the situation to continue. As the Drione video demonstrates, this dust is light and airy and only a little bit can go a long way at both killing and repelling carpenter bees. I’m sure any applied to the cracks and crevices you have in this wood trim area will do the job.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Corks:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page257.html

Drione:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html

Carpenter Bee Article:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

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

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

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

Thanks for your time,
K.W.

If you read our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn the DRIONE DUST is the best product to use on this pest. On the Drione Dust page there is a video which discusses all the benefits of Drione. In fact, around minute 8 of the video we aply some under cedar shakes and you’ll see the dust coming out way above where it was applied. This is due to it’s light and airy design. And this design makes it float around much like “smoke” which is needed for treating under siding. Because of this trait the Drione is perfect for getting up and into tight spaces like you’re describing.

For your situation, a quick dusting after hours will solve the problem. I’d wait till the evening, close to dark, when you know they’ll be in the nest. I’d then dust by squirting 3-5 times every foot into the cracks for 2-3 rows where you’ve seen activity. Even if any were to come out there is little chance of them stinging since the dust will be overwhelming them. I would expect any that did come out would just fall to the ground and die. The whole process could be done in less than 5 minutes.

Next, I would spray with the CYPERMETHRIN over the siding in this region as extra protection. But this would only serve to keep new ones away and won’t solve the current problem. For that you’ll need the Drione.

Here are direct links to the information and products mentioned above:

Carpenter Bee Control:  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

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

In general, total release aerosols are about the most ineffective way to treat any pest problem. They have limited potential due to the fact that they spew chemical out in all directions and don’t do a good job getting it where it matters the most: the target insect’s nest. Though they might impact exposed insects which cannot hide from the treatment, bees and other flying insects can easily avoid the spray. And since there will be little to no effective residual from the application, there will be no material left behind to kill bees that return after the aerosol is gone. I’m afraid for your problem a total release aerosol just isn’t a good option.

To treat this space under your deck effectively, you should dust with DRIONE. It’s light and airy and when applied will float around penetrating all the locations any bee might be going. If you view the Drione Dust video, you’ll see how it’s like a smoke making it the ideal product to use.

Drione can be used for wasps and bees and you can read more about treating under low lying decks in this post:

http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bees/carpenter-bees-below-wood-deck.html

Here is a link to our Carpenter Bee Article and Drione:

http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html

jonathan

www.bugspray.com