Are carpenter bees irritating you, flying around your head and drilling holes in your home? Get the facts down and receive the power of knowledge that makes these rascals not such a tough problem.
First, those tough carpenter bees that are aggressive and act so aggresive are the males. They defend the tunnels the females stay in 90% of the time by flying around whoever comes around. Your first empowering morsel of knowledge is this: THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE STINGERS! Impress friends and family members by boldly grabbing one out of the air and hold it in your hand! I recommend you verify it is a male first, that being a yellow spot on the head. The females head is completely black and although she has a stinger she keeps mostly in wood cavities. I am the only person I know that has ever been stung by a carpenter bee and that was because I gambled grabbing one without bothering to look as it was emerging from a hole in a post. It was a female and she stung the idiot that grabbed her. Wasn’t too bad, a yellow jacket sting is much worse.
Secondly you need to know what to do to get rid of the ones currently trespassing. What you DON’T want to do is stick a straw with poison and spray the hole. You DON’T want to just plug the hole either. Why? If a carpenter bee dies in your siding it will emit a pharamone that will attract future generations to the same area. What Dan The Bug Man does is insert a straw into the hole and spray no longer than one second, then I go on to the next hole or just wait. In a minute or two the inhabitants will come out receiving blunt force trauma. Only after the holes are empty is plugging them up with steel wool recommended. If you are lucky enough to be a customer of Dan The Bug Man you will receive a free carpenter bee trap made by Dan himself as his talent seems to know no bounds.
Once one carpenter bee is in the trap it will release the previously discussed pheromone and this will attract other carpenter bees. These traps will work without a carpenter bee in it as they are made from Douglas Fir wood, a soft wood that they love. However, the more bees trapped the more others are drawn to the trap. Don’t ever empty the traps, if they get completely full just pour out half of the bees.
Third, the more protected the wood around your home the less a problem you will have. Paint or stain often. Are the carpenter bees taking over your hummingbird feeders? Hang up a fake hornets nest and they will stay away. Order one online or make one yourself out of a plastic bag.
I would like to add one more thing. Carpenter bees are GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT as they help our honey bees pollinate the plants and trees we need to survive. Once you understand that you are not going to get stung and the damage they cause is relatively minimal you may consider just leaving them alone. Speaking of honey bees if you still use Round Up or similar products to kill your weeds knock it off already. If you want your plants to bloom and trees to bear fruit save both honey bees and your money and make your own weed killer. It’s as easy to make as 1,2,3. 1. Salt, one cup 2. Vinegar, one gallon 3. Dish soap, one tablespoon.