Carpenter bees are natural pollinators and are good for the environment, but once they take up residence inside your home, they can quickly become a nuisance and even cause damage to your property.
If you want to avoid property damage, it’s a good idea to start by understanding what attracts carpenter bees and what DIY and professional treatments can help get rid of them.
The best treatment for carpenter bees is prevention, but sometimes more is needed
The best way to prevent carpenter bees from entering your home is to prevent them from drilling into your wood in the first place. However, that is not always possible if you already have an active carpenter bee population.
Since carpenter bees are pollinators, we want to do our best to deter carpenter bees from our home structures using natural methods such as essential oils and plugging carpenter bee holes.
However, a major break-in can cause damage to your home and you may need professional help to avoid irreparable damage. Professional pest control companies use several strategies to target carpenter bees, some of which kill active colonies.
Why carpenter bees come into your house
Unlike many other insects and pests, carpenter bees rarely try to enter your home in search of food or shelter. Instead, drill holes in exposed wood off-site, such as deck boards, exposed piers under raised houses, wood siding, fences, and roof soffits.
“[Carpenter bees]especially like wood that is untreated, unpainted, or weathered. Typically, in the spring you start noticing carpenter bees wandering around wooden structures looking for nest sites,” said entomologists at the S.C. Johnson Insect Science Center, the manufacturer of Raid®.
How to safely remove carpenter bees from your home
Because carpenter bees can burrow into structures or live in exposed wood, it is not always practical to physically remove them.
Although it is possible to trap carpenter bees using homemade or commercially available carpenter bee traps, a better approach is to use insecticides to kill existing carpenter bee infestations and then take precautions to keep carpenter bees away in the future.
How to get rid of carpenter bees naturally
Preventing carpenter bees is much easier than treating them, but if you’re already dealing with a carpenter bee problem, there are some things you can do yourself to get rid of them.
- Paint or stain untreated wood. Even if carpenter bees have already taken up residence in the wooden structures around your home, you can deter their continued activity by painting, staining, or finishing the wood.
- Set up a bee trap. You can make a DIY carpenter bee trap by attaching a piece of wood with a 1/2-inch hole to a mason jar filled with a sugar and water mixture. The carpenter bee mistakes the hole for its own and becomes trapped in the liquid inside the bottle.
- Hang wind chimes on the eaves. According to some sources, carpenter bees don’t like loud noises, so hanging wind chimes under your eaves may be a natural deterrent.
- Try essential oils. There’s also some evidence that carpenter bees don’t like strong odors, so you can also use essential oils like citrus oil or almond oil to fight off odors naturally.
- Fill existing holes. Carpenter bees often return to areas they frequented before, so filling the hole with a plug or steel wool may cause them to head elsewhere.
- Try DIY insecticides. Although not natural, DIY insecticides available at hardware stores can help control activity on your property. “If there is visible flying insect activity around outdoor wooden structures, homeowners may consider Raid® Wasp & Hornet Killer 33, which is not only designed for wasp control, but is also effective against wasps,” our experts say.
Professional carpenter bee treatment
DIY solutions may not be sufficient to prevent continued damage to your property. In that case, you should consider professional pest control. Professional pest exterminators take a multifaceted approach to dealing with pests.
- Identifying the target area: “Professional treatment typically begins by identifying where carpenter bees are nesting and checking for signs of repeated activity or damage to the wood around your home,” says our experts. Our experts will locate any affected wooden structures in or around your home and determine what treatment is appropriate based on the severity of the problem.
- Direct chemical processing: According to our experts, the professional may then spray the insecticide directly at the tunnel or tunnel entrance. This will eliminate not only carpenter bees that have already invaded your wooden building, but also carpenter bees that may try to invade in the future.
- Prevention: Finally, experts should take steps to prevent carpenter bees from returning. SC Johnson entomologists said they may recommend “treating the affected wood and then sealing the holes to prevent carpenter bees from returning to the same area.”
How to prevent carpenter bees from re-invading
Most professional exterminators will not only treat existing carpenter bee populations, but will also take steps to prevent carpenter bees from returning. You can do some of this preventive work yourself using the following tips.
- Fill existing holes: Carpenter bees will return to old access holes in future seasons, so be sure to fill them. “In the spring, keep an eye out for new holes or sawdust around decks, siding, fences, and other wooden structures, and once the holes are no longer active, seal them to reduce future activity,” our experts advised.
- Protect exposed wood. Apply paint, stain, varnish, or other finishes to the exposed wood on the outside of your home. You can also cover the soffits of your trees with plastic covers to prevent carpenter bees from entering the area.
- Use natural deterrents: If you object to treating the exterior wood of your home, consider spraying it with an essential oil mixture to naturally deter carpenter bees.
- Consider ongoing pest control treatments. Common pest control treatments from companies like Orkin can help keep carpenter bees at bay, as well as prevent other insect infestations like carpenter ants and termites.
Common mistakes when getting rid of carpenter bees
The most common mistake made by homeowners trying to get rid of carpenter bees is spraying for active bees but not protecting exposed wood on the outside of the home. This will only cause ongoing problems, so be sure to paint or seal any wooden structures on the exterior of your home.
Another common mistake is filling carpenter bee holes too soon. Once you or a professional has treated your home, wait about a week before sealing the access holes. Otherwise, healthy bees may become trapped in the tree, creating new exit holes and attracting more carpenter bees to the area.
When to contact a pest control professional
Carpenter bees are relatively easy pests to deal with on your own, but in some cases you may need professional help.
For example, if carpenter bee activity continues year after year despite your attempts to resolve the problem yourself, contact a pest control professional. Preventing carpenter bees from visiting your property in the future may require regulated insecticides and professional intervention. Pest control services are more expensive than DIY treatments, but a permanent solution is worth the investment.
You should also consult a professional if you suspect structural damage due to carpenter bee activity. A professional can inspect problem areas for damage and take precautions to avoid the same problem in future seasons.
FAQ
What is the fastest way to get rid of carpenter bees?
The quickest way to get rid of carpenter bees is to call a pest control professional who will use a multi-pronged approach to get rid of them. Professionals will remove bees from your property and prevent their return in the future by using regulated insecticides and sealing holes and finishing wood.
What does WD-40 do to carpenter bees?
WD-40 is toxic to carpenter bees, so it can kill bees on contact and even prevent them from returning to infected wooden structures on your property. However, it should not be used as a standalone solution. Instead, hire a professional to eradicate the current infestation and paint, seal, or encapsulate any exposed wood in your home to prevent future problems.
Will carpenter bees ever disappear?
Carpenter bees are active in the spring and summer and are usually not a problem in the fall or winter. However, ongoing problems are common as they often return to areas where unfinished wood is available as a food source. For best long-term results, hire a professional pest control company for extermination, extermination, and preventive measures.
