# Carpenter Bees



## JustRay (12 mo ago)

I hired a pest service to come in and spray for bees (of all kinds) and yellow jackets.
The cost here in Wisconsin is $300.00.
And that covers the time period from when they first arrive (usually in May) until the end of the year.

For that price, they will return as many times as I call them for no additional charge. (If the critters return.)

Anyway, they put up a ladder to get to those hard to reach areas (Like in your post.)

The spray that the pest control company uses, is clear and has no odor, (That I can detect.) although our carpenter bees seem to really hate it.

Anyway, it might be another thing for you to consider.
Or not.

Good luck to you


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

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Insecticides Bee Control


Carpenter Bee Control Insecticides such as D-Fence SC, Cyper WP, Suspend SC, Demon WP, Cy Kick CS from www.doyourownpestcontrol.com




diypestcontrol.com





I can't think of anything to "stuff" in there, I would use the spray option, along with carpenter bee traps hung from the lower corners of the roof line.
Spring is important for controlling the little buzzers.


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

This my help with the time of season to deal with them.





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carpenter bee life cycle







www.carpenterbees.com


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@huesmann following your thread with interest. If misery loves company, we've got carpenter bees out here, too. They've riddled my mailbox post with holes, but so far haven't attacked my house. I think they really prefer some kinds of wood more than others.

For those who don't know, they look a lot like bumblebess, except that bumblebees have yellow fuzz on their bottoms, while carpenter bees are a shiny black. They also like to hover. They're also good pollinators, though not as good as bumblebees.


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

Perhaps a quality silicone calk ? I would wait till late summer to do it, this way there are no bees or larva in the tunnels.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

DoomsDave said:


> .... bumblebees have yellow fuzz on their bottoms, while carpenter bees are a shiny black.


They won't stand still long enough for me to have a good look.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Fiction and fact. Carpenter bees drill exact 1/2" holes vertically, then go horizontally where they deposit their eggs on the way back out of the tube. God reverses the gestation period of the young so the last one laid is the first one to emerge. Neat. However, in the meantime woodpeckers are hungry and know all this stuff, so they will peck your rake boards to pieces to get at the larvae. This leaves you with similar results of a 50 caliber machine gun all along your rake.


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## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

Here is some useless information:

Only the females can sting you.
There is no way to visually tell the males from the females


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

sixeightten said:


> There is no way to visually tell the males from the females


Sure there is. White dot on their face....harmless. Black face, not so harmless. They will sting you.


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## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

By the time you get that close to tell, it is too late! Not to mention, trying to remember which is which.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I kill them every yr, never been stung. Generally they'll fly away from whatever you are trying to kill them with. While not always feasible I like to shoot sevin dust into their hole. That will kill any bees in there along with eggs as they hatch. 10 yrs ago I had to replace a section of 2x6 fascia on my barn - you wouldn't believe how big of an area they can hollow out!


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Steve2444 said:


> Perhaps a quality silicone calk ? I would wait till late summer to do it, this way there are no bees or larva in the tunnels.


That's not a bad idea—some backer rod and caulk.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

If there are bees or ones that will hatch out - caulking won't stop them.


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## Steve2444 (Sep 28, 2020)

mark sr said:


> If there are bees or ones that will hatch out - caulking won't stop them.



That's why I suggested late summer to calk.
Spraying prior to installing backer rod and calk would also be helpful.


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