The BEST way to get rid of carpenter bees. They were destroying my deck!

The BEST way to get rid of carpenter bees! I've tried different solutions but this is by far the most effective method I've found to kill and prevent carpenter bees.

8 0z

16oz

1 quart

Backpack Sprayer

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[curiouscat]

I make balls of gray Walmart shopping bags wrapped in silver duct tape. This resembles a paper hornet/wasp nest. Carpenter bees are afraid of them and won't come around. I did this last year to great effect. I hung one on each corner and scattered on several posts of the wood fence, each corner of my garage, and a couple in the rafters of my garage. It worked all summer!

[benttwisted]

As a carpenter/remodeler for 42 years, with, extensive deck repair experience, it's past time to preserve your deck. It's more work than people think on a 2 story deck, but, COMPLETE wall protection is key. Power wash, secure loose boards, and, spray with oil base stain, water base stain on any exterior structure will not penetrate. Solid color stains are nothing but glorified paint, bad news too. Oil base transparent, or, semi-transparent stain have lasted my customers for 5+ years at a time. Water based stains (yes I tried them) may last 2 years & it's time to spend that money all over again.
Pertaining to this video, my pressure washer has soap tubs & I added permethrin to a tub & power washed with that first, let dry for 2 days, then, stained the deck. Excellent results!!

[cherrysmith]

I not only deal with the carpenter bees on my log sided house but then in the fall and winter the woodpeckers come and drill even bigger holes in my wood to eat the larvae that the bees lay. We decided to use this for stink bugs and found out by accident that it seemed to help with carpenter bees so we will be spraying more. Glad it’s working for you.

[chrischesney]

Mix about two ounces with a small tub of vasoline. Pack the mixture into a large plastic syringe with a tapered tip that fits in the bee hole. Apply a small dav of the mixture just inside each hole. For high places I tape the syringe to a 3/4” pvc pipe. The bees will fall out in droves. I have a large log home and I spend a few minutes each spring and haven’t had any problems since

[CipoCat]

That was what I did to get rid of them, too. If you didn't know, permethrin is used in clothing that repels biting insects. So, if you mix it even weaker, you can treat clothes and other items it'll soak into and it'll keep ticks and mosquitoes away pretty well, and it is good for up to 7 washes. You can buy it pre-mixed from companies like Sawyer, but I have a chemistry background so I decided to go your route because it is much more cost-effective. It is toxic to cats, and some dogs, so keep that in mind (It's why K9 Advantix shouldn't be used on cats). I worked in the outdoor industry for years and I was told it's pretty safe once it's dry. I use it on clothes, tents, backpacks, hats, outdoor chairs, and my dog's collar, to name a few. It was hands down the best way I found to keep ticks off me while working outside in Missouri.

[thecapone]

Came for the bees, stayed for the deck and the landscaping. Gave me some ideas. Very nice backyard and deck.

[kdave]

Found this yesterday, went to tractor supply this morning and sprayed it at around 9am. Just went to check and there are dead and squirming carpenter bees all over the place. I’ve been battling these flying demons for years, and this was the answer the whole time! I can’t thank you enough!

[pruzzilla]

I am battling them now. I have filled so many holes and am now painting the porch. They don't like the painted wood, nor the minwax wood filler. I also have three bee traps on the porch--that helps a lot.

[nunnaurbzznzzz]

I used the thin red tube on a spray can of brake cleaner and sprayed a good dose into the carpenter bee hole. I then immediately plugged the hole with a cotton ball and in about 3 or 4 minutes all buzzing activity stopped in the bee tunnels. I pushed the cotton in and filled the hole with wood filler and a light sanding and it was ready for a touch up painting. The break cleaner evaporates really quickly and the fumes quickly kills the bees. No risk to cats or other animals. Just the bees in the tunnels.

[wildernessofzinn]

I put up a carpenter bee trap I bought at Lowe's and it done the trick for me. It looks like a little birdhouse with holes drilled in it. Heck, you could make one. It comes with scent that attracts them, then, after the first one or two bees get trapped, subsequent bees are drawn by the trapped one's scent. It works great. I think so anyway.

[rhondaa]

When re-staining and painting our cedar wood house, we mixed this in with the stain and paint, which has kept the bees away for years now. Will reapply as necessary.

[cixuhcy]

Thanks for info. I’m a widow who has been battling these pesky bees for the past three years. I appreciate you sharing this. Will definitely try it.

[MsFoxu]

Wow! I wished I had known about this stuff 3 years ago. My deck sits low to the ground, so I'm not able to get underneath it without crawling under it. But, the carpenter bees mostly hover near the steps, but makes it hard to sit out on the deck or do yard work. I'm ordering this now off Amazon. Glad this video popped up in my feed!😊

[BlueRidgeCritter]

Pyrethrens are what we used to use around the dairy barn when I was a kid. I don't remember how long the stuff lasted, but we used it because it was organic. I can still smell it in my mind.

[aday]

Totally works!! Thank you! My boyfriend has a large patio and a storage shed that is sitting up on concrete blocks in the backyard and the bees were under the patio as well as under the storage shed. I observe them for several weeks and then I found your video, mixed up some spray and sprayed everywhere and they were gone Pretty much immediately. It’s been over a month and they have not returned yet. Thank you again.

[mattrost]

This stuff really works! And according to the manufacturer’s warnings, it is safe for all vertebrates. We treat twice in the spring, depending upon rain, about three weeks apart. The females take one bite of treated wood, and they become paralyzed and then drop dead. And to those who confuse carpenter bees with bumblebees, carpenter bees are considered pests, and you can legally treat them bumblebees have a yellow abdomen/tail, Carpenter bees have Black. And the non-stinging males have a white spot on their forehead

[paterpull]

Menards sells spray cans of Carpenter Bee killer with one of those long red applicator tubes. It foams when applied directly into the holes. I had a bunch of them making nesting holes in the cedar log siding for my second story and so I zapped a squirt into every hole I could locate * you can spot them as they leave a yellow powder like trail coming from the bottom of the holes". As I was working my way along the siding I could hear :plop plop" sounds coming from the area I had treated. Dozens of them were falling out of the holes and rolling down the shingled roof.) This stuff is cheap and effective but I also like your method, Thanks.

[eileenhawkins]

Go to a farm store. They carry a much larger container. The initial output is higher but if your going to be using it often it will end up being less expensive in the long term.

[andrewfyakim]

To contradict some of the comments below, painting the wood has no effect. My home has three very large pressure-treated, covered decks/porches. All of the wood is painted white. The carpenter bees drill just has many holes in my white-painted wood as they do in my neighbors non-painted decks. Our previous home had all cedar siding, trim, facia and soffits. It was stained/painted with Olympic Cedar Natural Tone; The carpenter bees destroyed the siding.

[Skooozle]

I built a tiny little wood shop complete with a bee-sized table saw, router and belt sander. They prefer the shop way more than the bottom of my deck.