Carpenter bees
 

I spend last summer painting the underside of my deck on hopes of deterring them. I used a good quality, thick, exterior paint, and they are still chomping away. Any ideas?

This:

https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Best-B...s&gad_source=7

Traps have worked for me.

James Q

Bees
 

Cut open a plastic milk container fill 2/3rd with Mountain Dew hang it under the deck and watch the attracted Bee's. You might have to empty the container with in a week or so.

I use a trap similar to the one above. I catch them but there is always more.

I used a similar trap last year too. For a couple weeks nothing, then all of a sudden there was a dozen of them in it.

I just hung 3 of those types of traps today, so we'll see ����*♂️.

Nothing works better than BEER!

Every beer you drink, leave about an inch or so in the bottle & set it out in the area you want to catch them....You will have dozens the next time you check!

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...closed.614419/

I keep a spatula hanging on a nail next to the side by side in the old garage, I make it a point to swat at least 3 of them before I get in and drive away. It's fun and satisfying exercise. They make a nice "ting" sound when you hit them. Like a good hit at the driving range.

From Amazon
Tempo 1% Dust. It is an insecticide, I know most people don't want to take that route, but it works. You need to get an applicator that puffs the stuff right up in the holes, also from Amazon. This stuff works, our house is wood sided and we tried everything , traps, bait , badminton rackets. One small puff of this stuff and they drop out of the holes deceased. Not an exaggeration, within 15 min. we had over 100 laying on the ground.

From Amazon
Tempo 1% Dust. It is an insecticide, I know most people don't want to take that route, but it works. You need to get an applicator that puffs the stuff right up in the holes, also from Amazon. This stuff works, our house is wood sided and we tried everything , traps, bait , badminton rackets. One small puff of this stuff and they drop out of the holes deceased. Not an exaggeration, within 15 min. we had over 100 laying on the ground.

Those traps work well - but more is better.

I made my own using 6" long blocks of 4 x 4 cedar - drilled the center hole then an angled hole to intersect it on each side - then screwed a mason jar lid with a matching hole to the bottom. To empty just unscrew the jar and dump.

Might try the Mountain Dew and/or beer trick as well.

If you make/buy traps, be sure to leave some of the dead bees in the jar. The pheromones from the dead bees will serve to draw in new bees, likewise if you have new traps and are adding them to some you already have take some of your dead bees and add them to the new traps.

When I first made my new traps it took weeks to get any action, when I got a few dead ones the kill ratio went up dramatically. After reading up on some seasoned trappers they confirmed that empty traps work very slowly, but pick up when they get some dead bees in them.

FWIW, there are dozens of videos on You tube for ridding your property of carpenter bees. One of the best is using chrysanthemum based pyrethrum natural powder as an insecticide. Just brushing against a surface treated with pyrethrum is said to kill bees, and other pests immediately.

I've not seen the beer, or mountain dew bait discussed on you tube, but I could have missed it in the dozens of videos available.

:2cents:

Brad yes good point I forgot to mention. Always leave a couple in the jar.

Something I do with the jar traps I drop some honey in the jar when deploying a new trap or clean out.. I have lots of dead trapped carpenters so it doesn't hurt and near free

Those are electrician bees. :)

Replace w/ plastic, like Azek.
No matter what you put on wood, in a couple years it looks like old pallets.