topic Re: What to do about carpenter bees ! in Among Friends

What to do about carpenter bees !

sarahpanda — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:05:24 GMT

I've been living in my new home a few months now and have seen many carpenter bees drilling holes around my house. Do you have these little devils and if so, any advise as to how to save my home?

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

KittySoftPaws — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:09:24 GMT

No advice, never have had that problem. That's such a dilema because bees are so beneficial to our enviroment and so many things, I'm sure you don't want to harm them. They are just doing what they were made to do, just in the wrong place. Maybe research on line for non toxic safe for you and them, ways to stop it. I am sure they exist. And with a little care and patience, everyone will win. Good luck to you.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Coastalcarolina — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:09:31 GMT

You could try spraying wasp and hornet spray where you see them trying to drill. They go in and lay eggs and after that they die. But the life cycle will continue next season if you let it go on. Good luck.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Nonametoday — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:11:44 GMT

They only last for a short time. They are not honey bees. They are pests but the holes they drill are but superficial. Bear with them. They go away. They are just part of our environmental business.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Coastalcarolina — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:13:02 GMT

I guess my reply seems harsh. Sorry, but they will destroy the wood. If it was something other than your home, I wouldn't be so harsh.

We have outbuildings that we let it go. And they come back every year, same spot.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

DREAMON — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:16:20 GMT

We tried spraying Wasp and Hornet Spray a few times a day, my husband kept filling all the holes with wood filler every night...they refused to stop.

They were drilling holes in our wood framed patio doors.

We put up with it for more years than I can remember then we got new patio doors with aluminum frames and that solved the problem.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Coastalcarolina — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:23:35 GMT

@DREAMON wrote:
We tried spraying Wasp and Hornet Spray a few times a day, my husband kept filling all the holes with wood filler every night...they refused to stop.
They were drilling holes in our wood framed patio doors.
We put up with it for more years than I can remember then we got new patio doors with aluminum frames and that solved the problem.

I have a set of wood adirondack chairs that are vintage that my father in law made for us. Those buggers drilled a hole all the way through it! I was not happy.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Mz iMac — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:33:29 GMT

@sarahpanda Call a professionaal and/or ask your neighbors.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Kachina624 — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:33:51 GMT

@sarahpanda. I had a home in Houston where they loved to make holes in the 2 X 4s in the fence around the patio. They don't sting and are not aggressive. I used to walk among them with no problem.

I've never heard of any way to discourage them so I left them alone. Live and let live. Fence didn't crumble or fall.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

DREAMON — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:34:53 GMT

@Coastalcarolina wrote:

@DREAMON wrote:
We tried spraying Wasp and Hornet Spray a few times a day, my husband kept filling all the holes with wood filler every night...they refused to stop.
They were drilling holes in our wood framed patio doors.
We put up with it for more years than I can remember then we got new patio doors with aluminum frames and that solved the problem.
I have a set of wood adirondack chairs that are vintage that my father in law made for us. Those buggers drilled a hole all the way through it! I was not happy.

@Coastalcarolina ,

and the holes are absolutely perfectly round..they drill better than any electric drill I have ever seen.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Coastalcarolina — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:37:25 GMT

@DREAMON wrote:
@Coastalcarolina wrote:

@DREAMON wrote:
We tried spraying Wasp and Hornet Spray a few times a day, my husband kept filling all the holes with wood filler every night...they refused to stop.
They were drilling holes in our wood framed patio doors.
We put up with it for more years than I can remember then we got new patio doors with aluminum frames and that solved the problem.
I have a set of wood adirondack chairs that are vintage that my father in law made for us. Those buggers drilled a hole all the way through it! I was not happy.
@Coastalcarolina ,
and the holes are absolutely perfectly round..they drill better than any electric drill I have ever seen.

You got that right.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

reiki604 — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:39:49 GMT

Call an exterminator who specializes in them.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Nonametoday — Sat, 03 May 2025 00:42:00 GMT

@Coastalcarolina wrote:
I guess my reply seems harsh. Sorry, but they will destroy the wood. If it was something other than your home, I wouldn't be so harsh.

We have outbuildings that we let it go. And they come back every year, same spot.

@Coastalcarolina

I have had them every year of my life. I bought this house as soon as it was built and it is 25 years old and we had them from the day we moved in each year. We have our home still intact. yes, they return each year and they go for our pergola. It's still standing. No harm except it needs a new paint job, nothing to do with the carpenter bees, however.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

LizzieInSRQ — Sat, 03 May 2025 01:20:26 GMT

Call a pest control company. I cant imagine not just doing that

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

rms1954 — Sat, 03 May 2025 01:48:16 GMT

@sarahpanda wrote:
I've been living in my new home a few months now and have seen many carpenter bees drilling holes around my house. Do you have these little devils and if so, any advise as to how to save my home?

we had them last year. They are nasty and hard to swat. They were living in our neighbor's garage and bothered me all summer. My husband bought a special trap to lure them in. They are back this year. Google Carpenter Bee Traps.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

Texas Gray Wolf — Sat, 03 May 2025 02:00:48 GMT

I spoke to my husband about them and he said you can buy a 'carpenter bee trap'....

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

teainlondon — Sat, 03 May 2025 02:01:41 GMT

This is weird because I never heard of Carpenter Bees until last week, We have a long porch on the front of the house. In the spring we hang ferns in the spaces and at the end on the proch. When my DH was hanging the ferns, he looked at the face board at the end of the porch and it was practically eaten away. We called our pest control service and they came almost immediately. The bee expert told us that there is no reason for the bees to choose a certain house---just unlucky. After the bees leave, the larvae remain and woodpeckers come and peck out the bee holes and destroy the boards and eat the larvae. The woodpeckers start at one hole and peck out in a line to the next hole and on and on. So the bees and birds destroyed the whole porch end boards. The pest control said if they arent destroyed, they will return every year. And the damage will continue. I have never seen anything like it.

Sorry this is so long, but it just has me on edge!

tea

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

We rescue cats — Sat, 03 May 2025 02:20:34 GMT

Carpenter bees are a native species and like other native bees they are important pollinators, are not aggressive, and are only noticeable in late spring-early summer. Control is not necessary unless they are damaging wooden structures.

Early fall is the best time for preventing carpenter bee damage because the galleries will most likely be empty. Young adult bees will have hatched and moved on, while the mature bees will not have settled in for winter.
Plug up carpenter bee holes. Use plugs, putty to plug up the holes after the bees have vacated the gallery.
After repairing the holes, paint the wood for more protection.
Carpenter bees prefer weathered or unfinished wood. Be sure to paint or varnish exposed wood surfaces around your home to make it less attractive to the bees. The most vulnerable areas are windowsills, railings, decks, fences, doors, eaves, fascia, wood handled tools and wooden lawn furniture.
Cover exterior openings to your home with fine mesh screens or caulk for small crevices to prevent bee incursions.
Hardwoods like oak are less appealing to carpenter bees than softwoods like pine and cedar.

We had them in the ceiling of the koi pond because we could not use treated lumber. They were an ongoing problem, we were always filling the holes and tunnels.

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

KittySoftPaws — Sat, 03 May 2025 02:51:07 GMT

Thank you for posting that. Bees also have a very very short life span. Sad when people don't respect all forms of life and try to learn to live with them instead of just destroying them. I was stung by a bee a few weeks ago and that hasn't happened in decades. Yes, it hurt like heck. The bee was floating in the pool because I shooed him away but I picked him up with my sunglasses and put him on the ground. It never occured to me to kill him. Then I discovered that their venom is actually prized and beneficial. Who knew!

Re: What to do about carpenter bees !

shoekitty — Sat, 03 May 2025 03:58:20 GMT

They are pretty harmless, but they are destructive!!! Drilled holes all over my moms patio cover, it was like a pergola. Huge little fellas too. Ours were big, huge black bees. I think we tried waiting till they were out, usually morning. Then plugged holes. Didn't work. Mom called one of those pest people that get rid of live stuff. ,he did a non toxic treat ment, they hated it. Left. Patched up all holes. No problem after that. They did a lot of damage though