Carpenter Bee Traps (Upgraded)

[Bearcarver]

Glad I saw this, those dang things are making Swiss cheese out of my deck joists. I will definitely bee building some of those this winter. You can beelieve that.

Great !!!

These will definitely help!!

I like your uses of the extra "e" too !!! LOL

Bear

 
Bear, is there anything you CAN'T do???? I expect plans soon for a nuclear fired smoker from you......

Ummm....just joking NSA......lol

Thanks Phil !!

LOL----There's a lot of things I can't do.

Even some things that are easy to many people!!

When I was in the Army, a Texas Buddy of mine tried to teach me to play the Guitar-----Impossible!!!  I couldn't hold one string down without touching another!!  I felt like a clumsy failure!!!

Bear

 

[beekeepsrus]

Hi,

Appreciate this posting maybe too late but have you or anyone tried using natural non-toxic solutions like tea tree oil or orange oil spraying methods instead of a trap? I had a similar issue last year with an infestation of Carpenter bees in one of our outdoor shacks. I didn't want to use harsh chemicals to kill off such a beautiful bee, despite being a pest for us 

 

I did a bit of digging around the 'inter-web' 

 and found me this little website that describes different methods (chemical & non-chemical) to get rid of the carpenter bee. Hope it helps 

 

Here's the site: http://www.howtogetridofcarpenterbees.com/  

Also, here's a useful (viewer friendly - no adverts) video talking more about getting rid of carpenter bees

 

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Hi,

Appreciate this posting maybe too late but have you or anyone tried using natural non-toxic solutions like tea tree oil or orange oil spraying methods instead of a trap? I had a similar issue last year with an infestation of Carpenter bees in one of our outdoor shacks. I didn't want to use harsh chemicals to kill off such a beautiful bee, despite being a pest for us 

 

I did a bit of digging around the 'inter-web' 

 and found me this little website that describes different methods (chemical & non-chemical) to get rid of the carpenter bee. Hope it helps 

 

Here's the site: http://www.howtogetridofcarpenterbees.com/  

Also, here's a useful (viewer friendly - no adverts) video talking more about getting rid of carpenter bees

Thanks BKR,

Very interesting & informative link & video. I researched the heck out of this subject before I made my original traps. Your Video says to put the poison in the Bee hole, and 24 hours later plug it up, but your written article says to plug the hole within one hour of injecting the poison. After researching I wait 48 hours before plugging the holes to give the mother time to go in and out a couple times, dragging the poison in to her nests.

It also says to spray the surface to keep them from drilling. This doesn't do a bit of good, because the Carpenter Bees don't eat the wood. Every time I apply Woodguard to my house I mix "BeeGone" with it, and it doesn't affect the Carpenter Bees because they don't eat it. They just ruin it by drilling & laying eggs. Then the Woodpeckers come to finish the destruction, while digging for the larva.

Also it says you can paint the wood to keep them from drilling. This is true, and it works, but I wonder what color they would like me to paint my Log House.

These traps are the best way to deal with them.

Thanks Anyway,

Bear

 

[gary s]

Good Info Bear   and a nice step by Step on the Traps     

Gary

 

[Bearcarver]

 
BEE TRAP UPDATE !!

OK guys, I just took my traps down for the Winter, and I now have a running total per year:

2009-----------------Over 200 Carpenter Bees.
2010-----------------Over 200 Carpenter Bees.
2011-----------------140 Carpenter Bees.
2012-----------------105 Carpenter Bees.
2013-----------------51 Carpenter Bees.

I think I'm catching up on these little Buggers!!!

Bear

Update!!!! Number is still going down, but not as fast:
Took my traps  down last October, and for the year of 2014, I got 49 Carpenter Bees.

As for this year, I got my 6 lower traps up, but I'm waiting for one of the young tower climbers that hang around here to put the upper 5 traps back up for me.

Bear

PS:  Thanks Gary!!!
 

 

[John123john]

not bad! And if we are talking about a purchased trap, then how to be in this case.
I've just made a small sip of just two kinds that I should use which i found on the https://stoppestinfo.com/96-carpenter-bee-trap.html and amazon.com
The first one is - Chrisman Mill Farms Wood Bee Trap
The second - Rescue TSW-BB6 Visilure TrapStik]
And as an addition, this is the third trap - Bees N Things Carpenter Bee Trap
I think this is 3 best traps which you need to use.

 

[jonboat]

I'm a bit of an el-cheapo, and those are beautiful traps, but I've gone the non aesthetically pleasing route with mine, using what I have laying around. - Just like your early version with "Free wood"

I used scrap 2X4 that was laying around the garage for mine.

Cut into squares (2x4x4)
Put in a bench vise so a cut end is up and use a 1" spade bit to drill a 3" deep main hole. (this is the bottom of the trap.)

Starting a half inch up from the bottom on the "2" sides, drill a 1/2" hole at a 45 degree angle going toward the top of the block.

I use hot melt glue to secute the top of the cheap drinking water bottle into the hole in the bottom and a pocket knife to cut a hole just inside the threads.

For hanging, I pound a cable staple into the top, screw the bottle on and go hang it.

NOTE - at the beginning of the next bee season, you'll want to check them for spiders/spider webs - if those are present, they will need to be cleaned out for the traps to continue working. I've got 20 or so hanging around my deck, porch, barn and sheds

Carpenter Bee Traps (UPGRADED)

These traps are not as ugly on my house as the original traps were:



This is one of the old ones, ready to be replaced.
They were just plain old rough cut skid pine (FREE WOOD):


__________________

 

[Steve H]

I'm a bit of an el-cheapo, and those are beautiful traps, but I've gone the non aesthetically pleasing route with mine, using what I have laying around. - Just like your early version with "Free wood"

I used scrap 2X4 that was laying around the garage for mine.

Cut into squares (2x4x4)
Put in a bench vise so a cut end is up and use a 1" spade bit to drill a 3" deep main hole. (this is the bottom of the trap.)

Starting a half inch up from the bottom on the "2" sides, drill a 1/2" hole at a 45 degree angle going toward the top of the block.

I use hot melt glue to secute the top of the cheap drinking water bottle into the hole in the bottom and a pocket knife to cut a hole just inside the threads.

For hanging, I pound a cable staple into the top, screw the bottle on and go hang it.

NOTE - at the beginning of the next bee season, you'll want to check them for spiders/spider webs - if those are present, they will need to be cleaned out for the traps to continue working. I've got 20 or so hanging around my deck, porch, barn and sheds

I'm sure John (RIP) would have appreciated your thoughts on these traps.

 

[zwiller]

FYI I find the traps work best if you can throw a few dead guys in there. Apparently attracted to the scent.