# carpenter bee problem



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I spray the hole & then plug it
I also have a tennis racket I use out back
Since they seem to hover a lot, fairly easy to wack them

They will carve out a hole 12"+ long
They really destroy posts & any wood they dig into


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## bluejeans (Apr 15, 2010)

Large bee? Carpenter bee? Someone post a pic of carpenter bee.I think there is an error in identification.I was wrong once though.:laughing:


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

They almost look like a normal bumble bee


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## tpolk (Nov 7, 2009)

little hornet spray when the butts showin


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## mark942 (Feb 2, 2008)

http://www.diychatroom.com/f51/carpenter-bees-17496/#post101473

:thumbsup:


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## Thurman (Feb 9, 2009)

Don't think you people are alone. We have plenty of carpenter bees here in S. GA. If you read up on these you may read that they only like older unpainted woods---NOT! I have them drilling into recently painted wood here on my home and leaving alone pieces of older wood I have hung around my garage to attract them. I've tried many methods to get rid of them, including taking the dead ones, tying strings to them, and hanging them near where the others are drilling. The live one's don't mind the dead one's just hanging around. I'm now using Wasp spray, the kind that shoots maybe 15 ft. or so. When you see on start into the hole, just spray it and the hole, later you may find a dead carpenter bee lying near. David


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## RickyBobby (Nov 19, 2009)

We used to call them 3/8 bees. Measure the hole, perfect 3/8".

They love cedar. Had an issue and the wasp spray in the hole tends to work. Never used the tennis racket like scuba but did use one of the big wiffle ball bats.

Plugging the hole after the spray would probably work well like mentioned above. Your own homemade gas chamber.

Good luck


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## bluejeans (Apr 15, 2010)

I had some small (small fly size)bees that i discovered while mowing the lawn.Then one day a little fly lands on my blue painted t-11.He gets smaller.Then smaller and smaller.He dis a #*%!*pears.I was 4' away and it took 6secs? I only looked at it because it looked like a weird/different fly.I walk to the siding and there's a bit under 1/4" half moon hole.What was that? A little person wood butcher bee?:stupid::laughing:


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## Jim F (Mar 4, 2010)

I find the wasp and hornet spray to be a great deterrant. Get the kind that jet streams not the kind that foams. They recommend spraying in the morning but I hit them when ever I see them, just get the kids inside first. You hit the nest that takes care of the problem. The stragglers will go away after a while. Some people say "leave them alone, they have a right to live", but I'm the only one paying the bills at my house.:biggrin:


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

I initially did not bother spraying them (1st bought house)
Then when redoing the back of my house I pulled off a piece of 1x6 that virtually fell apart
They had chewed the thing to pieces making their nest
So now I kill them whenever I see them
I see less now then the 1st 2 years I was here

I also keep an eye on the fence & trim on the house
Usually looking for sawdust is the telltale sign


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## pjm (Apr 11, 2008)

I see them around my shed in the spring, but I just whack them whenever I see them hovering around. Very intimidating, but the don't/can't sting as far as I know so no fear of that. I used to kill them at my parents house by spraying in the holes with wd40 they would come backing out and I'd just wallop them with a swatter.


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## bobtheblindguy (Dec 21, 2009)

Thanks for all the help. I was thinking of catching em and relocating them. But instead I'll get some wasp spray and a tennis racket.


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## Titans (Jun 17, 2010)

Female Carpenter Bees have stingers. Male Carpenter Bees do not.

I have heard something about aluminum pie pans detering Carpenter bees.


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## mcgrathpest (Jun 27, 2010)

For carpenter bees you need to dust in their holes to get them out. Once they are out then plug up the holes with some type of cork or wood filler and restain the wood. By restaining or putting some type of finish on the wood this will mask the pheromones that are causing the bees to return to the same spots every year. Once you dust, get ready cause they will start buzzing in the wood and then start flying out, but dont worry they wont attact you, just fly around alittle bit then die. It's actually pretty cool.


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## DIYtestdummy (Jan 16, 2008)

If the above doesn't work, call a bee keeper. I had a BIG hive under my shed last year that cost me 1/4 of the floor. I got swarmed a couple of times, but no stingers. I'm one of the most unlucky people in the world too. If they do have stingers they probably won't use them.


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## Engloid (Nov 14, 2010)

I don't think this is an "approved" method, but it's just what I have done. 

the aerosol carburetor cleaner that you buy at car parts stores works amazingly well on ANY insect. It kills nearly instantly. Must be some sort of chemical that attacks their nervous system. It will drop a bumble bee or carpenter bee right out of the air. The small spray tubes work well for spraying inside holes that they have bored. When you see one go in a hole, just spray some inside and within a few seconds, they normall fall out to the ground and die.


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