Carpenter Bee Control

Need Help? Call the Carpenter Bee Control help line at 1-800-877-7290

bees in attic

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I just went up in my attic and noticed several large bees walking around on a window, along with some dead on the floor. From the outside, it appears they may be getting in under the roof.  When would be the best time to go up there to investigate?  I have small children and I do not want the bees coming into our home.

If you review our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, you’ll learn these bees bore through wood to create their nests. It’s not uncommon for nests to get “plugged up” with too many bees forcing them to drill new exit holes as explained in this post:

finding carpenter bees in bathroom

In most cases one of the situations described above is what causes some to end up inside the home for sure. Though not the best of situations, be thankful this is happening into the attic and not the main living spaces. And as the above post explains, this should only go on for another week or two before they’ll all emerge and be done. Once this spring release happens, you’ll have some time to treat the area to make sure the problem doesn’t get any worse over the summer.

As for when to do the treatment? I say anytime after 2 weeks from when you first noticed them. I say this because if you treat now, chances are likely any others still not emerged will definitely be forced into the home. To avoid this from happening, wait a bit. Next, a good dusting round the gutters, eaves, where the roof shingles hang over the gutters and up under any siding you have on the home would be a good way to treat the problem and keep it under control. As explained in our article, the DEMISE DUST will not only kill what’s there but it’s light “floating” action will surely penetrate enough of the shingles and any voids behind it to make the entire area unliveable by these bees. Be sure to use it all around the house too as it works well on wasps and other invasive pests. You might need a DUSTICK to reach the roof line but one treatment done every spring and fall will keep any house bee and wasp free so it’s well worth the cost and effort.

Here are links to the information and products mentioned above:

CARPENTER BEE CONTROL

Demise:  https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/dust/drione-demise-dust-6-oz

Dustick:  https://bugspray.com/equipment/dusters/dustick

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

1-800-877-7290

huge bees around deck

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Hello, I live in Quantico VA, on my back deck these HUGE bees just hover and buzz and they scare me as well as my kids. I don’t know where they are coming from. How can I keep them off my deck so that we can sit outside? Is it true if you spray almond oil on the wood they will stay away? Will they do this all summer? I am really really scared of them…..what should/can I do????

As explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, these are most likely male and female bees. Females are typically looking for places to make nests this time of year. Males are usually seeking females. Both will tend to be active close to where nests already exist and as our article explains, the problem will get worse and worse from year to year.

At this point you should see if you have existing nests that need to be dusted as explained in our article. If no nests can be seen, spraying with MAXXTHOR EC will keep them away. Alternatively spraying with the NBS INSECT REPELLENT can work too. Maxxthor is a true pesticide and will kill them if they try to make nests or linger too long on treated surfaces. NBS is only plant oils and works a repellent only and not a pesticide so it’s the safest option that can help. Forget Almond Oil as it tends to attract other insects like ants and roaches and many times will lead to far worse problems. If you’re looking for something organic, the NBS is the product to use.

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

Carpenter Bee Article: www.carpenterbees.com

Maxxthor: bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/maxxthor-ec

NBS Repellent:  https://bugspray.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz

Give us a call if you still have questions.

Technical Support
1-800-877-7290

finding carpenter bees in bathroom

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I have found 4 carpenter bees i n my bathroom today. 1 alive, 1 on the ground but still moving and 2 dead ones. I live in an older apartment complex. I do not have any idea where they are coming from. I cannot locate any kind of whole in the wood. Is there a treatment that i can use so I do not have to live with bees in my bathroom?

There is no practical way for you stop unwanted bee activity in your bathroom or any part of your apartment for that matter. But don’t fret; this would be an equal problem for in any structure meaning the same thing could happen in a free standing home, a work office, etc. In most cases, there is one of two scenarios that’s “playing out”.

As explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, these boring bees drill into wood to make nests. These nests harbor both larvae and adults throughout the winter. Come springtime, they’ll all try to emerge. If the old entrance hole is still open, they’ll generally emerge and most people will never notice the activity. But in some cases homes are painted, trim work around a structure is sealed and when this work is done, entry/exit holes are sometimes sealed. When this happens, the bees cannot use their normal routes of passage. To get around this, they’ll drill new exit pathways and sometimes this leads to them getting inside. This would be one of the scenarios that could be happening.

The second is that if the original nest isn’t built just right it can sometimes force young bees to emerge in the wrong direction. Nest which have separate egg chambers will allow emerging young a free path when they choose to come out. But nests with a single tunnel will get “stacked” with eggs and adults. There can sometimes be 5-10 bees all in a row which effectively creates a traffic jam through which none can pass or exit. If the bee in the middle is a female and she can’t get out when her time to emerge arrives, she’ll drill a new hole to escape. Sometimes these holes end up leading inside the structure. And once that hole is created, other bees will use the same path over the course of the next season.

At this point I’m guessing one of the two scenarios I’ve described is the reason you’re seeing them inside your bathroom. Unfortunately there isn’t a lot you can do for now. The good news is it shouldn’t last long. Generally all the bees will emerge in 1-4 weeks. But if the outside area where the nest originated is allowed to breed new bees with new nests, there could be more problems for you down the road. For now, I’d keep my eyes on the outside areas to see if you can locate any activity. If you find some, be sure to let management know. The last thing they need is for bees coming inside someone’s apartment that is severely allergic to bee stings. If you make a point to educate them about the nests or about sealing up nests without treating which in turn leads to someone getting stung and injured, my guess is they could have a lawsuit on their hands so I’m sure they’ll want to listen to what you have to say and handle it appropriately. But the key here is you need to find the activity where they’re entering. Find the activity and you should be able to solve the long term problem and not have them entering anymore after this season if the right treatments are done.

Here is a direct link to our article on this bee:

CARPENTER BEE CONTROL

carpenter bee life cycle

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How long do carpenter bees live?

On average about one year. Here is the “expected” life cycle from start to finish.

Eggs are laid late spring to early summer in nests drilled out in dead wood. Nests may contain several eggs. Soon after being laid they’ll hatch and feed on pollen for a month or two before pupating to adults.

In late summer they’ll emerge as adults and spend the remainder of the year hunting for pollen. As fall turns to winter both males and females will hibernate till the following spring. They will use pre existing nests to hibernate and these nests will many times house several bees. Once it’s warm enough the following spring, they’ll emerge from their nests seeking fresh pollen and a mate. Soon after mating males will begin to die and females will both fill pre existing nests with new eggs as well as drill out new nests following their instinctive behavior to expand the local population. Females will live long enough to lay her eggs and maybe even most of the summer but usually not two winters.

As explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE, they’ll commonly use the same nest over and over which is why nests on structures need to be dusted and sealed. Failure to fend them off when you first see activity will usually lead to more and more coming around.

Hope this answers your question!

jonathan

www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

bees entering gap by gutters

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I have read your articles and viewed the videos.  The bees here have been active for about 1 week.  The problem is that the area they are drilling in is not visible. I know where they are going in. The board that holds the little screens under the eves is separtaed from the board holding the gutters. There is about a 1/2 gap. What is the best way to treat?

If you review the post we made here on bees getting up under siding:

bees under wood siding

you’ll learn that “blind treating” is Okay when using a dust like DEMISE. As explained in our Demise Video , the unique qualities of this product enable it to float around and penetrate large areas. When applied to a gap like you’re describing, it will undoubtedly get to where it’s needed. By lightly covering all the surface area in the void, foraging bees will quickly pick up the dust and die. In most situations, they’ll be dead in less than a week.

After you’re sure all the activity has stopped, it would be wise to get this gap sealed to prevent bees (and other pests) from taking advantage of this vulnerable spot.

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

Demise:  https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/dust/drione-demise-dust-6-oz

jonathan

www.bugspray.com