Hi, we found a hole in the soffitt, saw some bees entering, pounded on the area to make sure everyone was out, then sealed it with great stuff, now these guys are back after painting the great stuff ….we tried painting it again, but they keep coming back…I don’t want to kill them, so any suggestions how to keep them away and get on with their life…….any idea why they keep coming back and won’t leave after the hole is plugged???
Unfortunately, you’ve done a bad thing…
If you take some time to read through our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn you’ve made a big mistake closing their nest. Basically you’ve sealed up eggs which will be developing and hatching later this year or possible next season. Additionally, the female bees that created the nests won’t leave. Within a short amount of time they’ll be drilling new holes and the only way to get rid of them will be to kill them. It’s kind of like what we would do if we came home and found all our doors and windows were nailed shut to our home. We wouldn’t leave. We’d figure out how to get inside. In this case, the only way the bees can get back in will be to drill new holes and if you want to prevent this from happening, you’ll need to get those holes open ASAP and hopefully you can remove the Great Stuff and get the nest treated properly.
Once they’re open, you’ll need to treat them with the DEMISE we have featured in the article. If you leave the nests open after you treat, you’ll kill all the females within a day or two and then you can seal them with the CORKS we have in the article. Now if you had treated as our article explains (before sealing them up with something like Great Stuff), the Demise would last a year and eventually kill all the emerging young when they hatch. But if the Great Stuff is blocking their exit, they’ll be forced to drill new holes and in the end they might avoid the treatment. This means you’ll likely have new nests next season since these guys usually return to where it was that they were born.
So for now, try to reopen the holes and get them dusted with Demise. And if you find some new holes later this year or next spring, leave them open and treat them right so you can be done with the problem once and for all. And of course, if new ones come around trying to drill, apply the MAXXTHOR EC to repel them from new areas.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Carpenter Bee Control Article: www.carpenterbees.com
Demise: bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/dust/drione-demise-dust-6-oz
Crusader Duster: bugspray.com/equipment/dusters/crusader
Corks: https://bugspray.com/equipment/equipment-plugs/cork-12
Maxxthor EC: www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/maxxthor_ec.html
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