Carpenter Bee Control

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

bees in oak tree

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I notice there are holes all in my oak tree and bee’s keep coming in and out of the holes. What is causing this and how do I get rid of them?

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 DEMISE. Fast working and easy to apply, Demise 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, Demise is more like smoke. When applied using a HAND DUSTER, the Demise 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 Demise to last a long time.

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

Carpenter Bee Control:  www.carpenterbees.com

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

Hand Duster:  bugspray.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Give us a call if you still have questions.

Technical Support
1-800-877-7290

 

bees in wall by front door

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i have bees in my wall by my front door if you put your ear next to the wall you can hear them buzzing so loud. we know how they got in from the outside it’s a very small hole but i know there must be so so many in there. Help.

If you are 100% sure these are carpenter bees, treating as explained in our article will take care of the problem. But since you say there are “so so many in there”, I’m thinking it must be another species. Is it possible they’re honey bees or even yellow jackets? Typically these “other” bee and wasp nests will have activity pretty much non stop during the day. In other words, if you watch that hole you said you see, you’ll notice a lot of bees or wasps coming in and leaving all the time. This will be happening continuously from the morning till the evening where as carpenter bee nests won’t have nearly as much activity. It just so happens that knowing which you have is very important when it comes to treating. As stated above, if it’s definitely a carpenter bee nest, treating it from the outside using their entrance/exit hole will be fine.

But if it turns out you have one of these other species, you’ll need to treat from inside the home through the wall where you hear them the loudest. Basically you’ll want to get a dust like DEMISE and puff it into the wall from the inside. This process will insure you get good coverage and in case you don’t hit the nest directly, you’ll scare them “out” inside of in.  Use a HAND DUSTER for the application and it will only take small holes to get the dust injected. Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of treating from the outside. When it comes to honey bees or yellow jackets, this is very much the “wrong” way to treat and almost always creates a mess. In most cases the nest will not be killed by the first treatment and what members live after the initial dusting will attempt to create a new “main” entrance/exit hole. When doing this they will many times create this new hole directly into the home! For obvious reasons, this is bad.

We’ve got more detailed information posted in some articles and I suggest you read through them. After reading them, you’ll be better informed to decide if you want to do the treatment yourself or if you’ll want to get a professional to do the work. The good news is if you can hear them inside the home by listening to a section of the wall, you should be able to directly treat them from that same location. And this is by the best way to handle this kind of nest because the wall will act as your “shield”. This means if the wall is in tact and not soft or weakened by their nest, it will actually protect you from them once the treatment gets into their nest. Here the articles you should review:

Yellow Jacket Control:  www.bugspray.com/article/yellowjackets.html

Honey Bee Control:  www.bugspray.com/article/honeybees.html

Carpenter Bee Control:  www.carpenterbees.com

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

Crusader Duster: bugspray.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Give us a call if you still have questions.

Technical Support
1-800-877-7290

bee holes underside of pergola

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I have about a dozen holes bored into the underside of my pergola.  Being the the holes are vertical, I am concerned that the dust will just fall out.  Any help would be appreciated.

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 DEMISE 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. Demise 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:  www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

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

Crusader Duster: bugspray.com/equipment/dusters/crusader

Corks:  bugspray.com/equipment/equipment-plugs/cork-12

 

Cheers,

Jonathan

Tech Support

www.bugspray.com

770-985-9388

1-800-877-7290

 

PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here:  bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html

 

sealing carpenter bee hole with great stuff

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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

Give us a call if you still have questions.

Technical Support
1-800-877-7290

carpenter bees around bush

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I’m not sure if I have a carpenter bee problem.  For the first time in the 5years I’ve lived at this home I can’t go to my backyard without being hassled by carpenter bees. They seem to be pollinating a bush that separates me and my neighbors townhome yards. The problem is that the bush is directly next to my sliding back door.  Two bees tend to linger along the length of the bush and keep away everything from dragonflies to birds! Others are hoping from flower to flower. We trimmed the bush Saturday afternoon and there was nothing there. I’m wondering if the sawed off wood attracted them to the bush (trimmings were all carried away the same day) or if it’s the small flower blossoms. I can’t seem to find a nest as I can’t even step outside without at least two or three heading straight to my face. Is this something I can fix or should I call an exterminator? I’m afraid of heading out there because I do have a severe bee allergy and since some bees seem to be feeding on the flowers, I’m afraid they may be females with stingers. I’d appreciate any help or advice you can offer. Thanks!!

After reading your message, I think its safe to say you have a carpenter bee problem. Now is it serious? No. And it’s something you can most definitely handle yourself so there is no need to call in an expensive service.
First, if you read our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL article, you’ll learn the ones you’re seeing are males. Basically they just hang around plants waiting for a female to come by. They don’t have stingers so they can’t hurt you but they will definitely buzz close to you over and over; this is their nature and basically it’s all they do all day long. The good news is female bees have no interest in people and they don’t hang around buzzing anything other than their nests and flowers when searching for food.

Second, in our article you’ll learn about two types of sprays that are typically applied to wood where bees are drilling. By treating the wood, you can prevent new holes from being drilled because bees hate these sprays. These two products can also be sprayed on plants to repel bees from the area. The stronger of the two is the MAXXTHOR EC. Use it on the plant just once and these annoying males will be gone. If they choose to linger, they’ll probably die. Since most insects can sense the presense of the Maxxthor, it tends to do a good job repelling annoying wasps and bees without killing them unless they insist on landing on treated surfaces.

Alternatively you can spray the NBS INSECT REPELLENT. This organic concentrate won’t kill anything but like the Maxxthor, it will repel bees and wasps. You’ll need to use this more aggressively meaning you’ll have to treat every week or two compared to the Maxxthor which will last a lot longer.

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

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

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

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

Give us a call if you still have questions.

Technical Support
1-800-877-7290