What to do about Carpenter Bees??

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SherryLike SE Arky, United States(Zone 8a) Apr 23, 2006

I'm open to suggestions, they are about to destroy my barn...

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Night_Bloom Griffin, GA(Zone 8a) Apr 24, 2006

Painting the wood they haven't gotten to yet will help. My hubby has the protocol for how to treat these, but I'll have to get a link and/or post it later, because it's a little complicated to remember it all. Timing is critical, because if you try to treat and/or block up the holes at the wrong time, the bees that do survive will chew their way out next season, making new holes. Hopefully I'll get back to you soon with more information. The painting part is a good start, however, because they don't usually bother wood that has been painted.

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Zeppy Shenandoah Valley, VA(Zone 6b) Apr 24, 2006

I'm afraid I don't have any help for you, but you might appreciate this story. When I was a teenager, our house had a real problem with carpenter bees up near the attic line. We had exterminators out multiple times, with little to no effect. Then one day I heard a loud ratatatatatatatat going on, repeatedly. I walked around the house to see a woodpecker systematically drilling out and eating all of the bees (or perhaps the larvae). We never saw the bees again, and patched up the holes the woodpecker had enlarged.

In hopes a family of woodpeckers moves in nearby you...

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SherryLike SE Arky, United States(Zone 8a) Apr 24, 2006

I wonder if I could find a woodpecker recording until the woodpeckers arrive, we always have them and I've only seen one so far. I had a house in Fayetteville AR and everyone had carpenter bees but us - we had woodpeckers!! I'll bet that is why we didn't have the c bees there, who knew??!! Thanks Night and Zep!!

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SherryLike SE Arky, United States(Zone 8a) Apr 24, 2006

I know this sounds crazy but not having anything else to use, that I felt comfortable using, I mixed up some citrus Joy, with water and I've been spraying the carpenter bees. Oddly, it seems to be working. Maybe they just decided to call it quits early today...

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