Welcome to bee season folks! Yes, it comes every year and no, there isn’t
a cure!
Feel better? Probably not, but while there isn’t a cure
for carpenter bees there are a few things you can do to prevent damage and ward
off future infestations.
First, let me start by saying
that these little devils will only be around for a few more weeks. Their lifespan is fairly short and while you
may think they are being destructive, they simply think they are being good
parents. The urge of parenthood is
strong with these little guys – thus….the birds and the bees. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Carpenter bees bore holes in wood
to create tunnels in which they lay their larvae. They will be doing this until sometime around July when they die. The larvae will gestate in these tunnels
until next fall where they will begin to develop and ultimately find their way
out of the tunnel and into the sunlight only to start the process over again. You probably didn’t think that your eaves
would ever be considered a womb did you???
So, the matter at hand isn’t what
a great parent these critters may be, but how do I stop them from boring holes
everywhere? Carpenter bees can be a
serious issue if their tunneling begins to compromise a structure. You should make every attempt to plug a bee’s
hole when you find one. Moreover, it’s
just as important to seek and destroy any larvae that may be in the tunnel
prior to your reclamation of the kingdom!
This can be done in multiple ways, most commonly with insect spray or
bee butter. The use of insect spray is
fairly straight forward – insert straw and spray. The use of bee butter is not. Bee butter is not a deterrent, but will kill
the bees once they get it on them. A small
dab of bee butter in the hole will surely spread to the bee and larvae in an
active tunnel. Bee butter may also be a better choice since the bee will spread the butter throughout all of the tunnels. There may be more tunnels than you think and spray may only get to some of the lair. No matter which way you
choose, you should always plug the hole.
A vacant hole is another bee’s opportunity to move in. This can be done with a quality caulk or you
can drill the existing hole out slightly to fit a piece of wooden dowel rod
that can be glued into place. The use of
dowel rod will give a more uniform fix depending on where the damage is and how
important appearance is.
The other option (and highly
recommended) is to put Carpenter Bee traps around your home where you see
Carpenter Bee activity. The premise of
bee traps is simple. As I said before,
Carpenter Bees will be more than happy to take up residence in an existing
tunnel. This saves them a lot of
energy! Bee traps are designed to
provide an easy entry into a wood structure that isn’t so easy to get out
of.
If you are handy, you can make
your own traps reasonably cheap. The
internet is loaded with design options and instructions on how to build
them. The other option is to purchase
them. The General Store at Coosawattee
has traps that are built locally. I
opted to purchase the traps as it saved me time and helped support our local
economy and our neighbors. Truthfully, I'm not sure I could build them for what I bought them for.
It’s also important to know where
to put the traps and to inspect for damage.
Keep in mind that Carpenter Bees are attracted to bare, non-painted wood. If your house is painted wood and you have
seen carpenter bees buzzing around you may want to inspect around deck railings or
under decks where the wood may be unfinished or only stained. These are also VERY important areas to keep
structurally sound. Painted surfaces deter
these little guys, but this is not a guarantee that you won’t have
problems. Painted wood siding is still
susceptible if you have worn, thin, flaking paint or areas where the siding has
been compromised by water, sun, etc..
Another tactic you can try is the
old ‘bait and switch’. You may try baiting the bees away from your home by strategically placing pieces of untreated wood around your
property to provide quiet tunneling zones for the bees. Simply purchase (most of us have a stock laying around from projects) some clean untreated wood. This could be pieces of 2X4's, 2X6's, etc. Next, drill some holes into the wood at various angles. Bees never bore straight into the wood, but typically at an upward or sideways angle to the grain of the wood. This angle boring protects the tunnel from rain. You have just created a convenient home for any discriminating bee to take up residence!
You may attach these
chunks of wood to trunks of trees around your home with bungee cords or ratchet
straps. Just be careful when hanging them that you have the angle of the holes in the right position. Bees will not occupy a tunnel that fills with water. Once bee season is done, remove
them and enjoy a campfire! Just make sure you put these convenient bee condos in areas around your home that show bee activity. HOPEFULLY they'll choose your peace offering over your deck stringers!
So, take a deep breath and a good
look around your home. Take care of
those tunnels now and get them sealed up before they give birth to the next generation. You can take some relief in knowing that we
will only be dealing with these little guys for a few more weeks along the
Coosawattee River.
Till next time,
Chris
