Carpenter bees are mild, but don’t assume they’re harmless. In reality, carpenter bees can do a great deal of harm to the wooden structures in your house!
They love to dig into softwoods and chew channels for female carpenter bees to keep their eggs. And if they meet an already established hole, they will continue there, meaning they could dig deeper to meet their nesting demands. Along with this, since carpenter bees have a long lifespan this could lead to extensive damage to your home.
Suggested Carpenter Bee Traps
When you’re dealing with carpenter bees, you want to ensure you’re using a trap that is guaranteed to help! We recommend these carpenter bee traps! We have a whole guide on the best carpenter bee traps!
Rather than employ toxic chemicals to get rid of them, you may have constructed some DIY carpenter bee traps. The use of softer and untreated wood seems more eco-friendly and lures the bees into inspecting the trap. One advantage of a carpenter bee trap is its built-in tunnel system. With that, the bees develop a strong interest to examine and use it.
Since understanding the carpenter bee lifestyle seems fairly easy to do, you can establish the most ideal position when it comes to where to hang carpenter bee traps early enough.
How Do Carpenter Bee Traps Work?
Carpenter bee traps work by imitating a potential nest for carpenter bees, and once a carpenter bee enters the trap, they fall into a chamber that won’t allow them to fly out. This allows you to collect the carpenter bees and remove them from your property.
Carpenter bees are a nuisance to your home, so you need to deal with them as quickly as you can, but you might be wondering how do carpenter bee traps work?
Although the trap fools the bee into thinking that it is a nest, what it really happens to be is a pre-drilled wooden box with burrows inside. Also, you can attach it to a glass container or a plastic bottle before deployment, after which the bees start to dive into the tunnel.
As soon as a bee sees the light from the transparent plastic, it starts to assume that it is an exit. But instead finds that it is a trap. At that point, the carpenter bee hits an actual wall, causing it to become stuck in the trap. In the long run, it will starve and then die.
But there are times when, before they fall into your trap, they may have deposited some eggs in the tunnel they dug. Keep in mind that these traps do not stop fresh eggs from hatching. We have a full guide on how to use carpenter bee traps!
Do Carpenter Bee Traps Work?
Yes, carpenter bee traps do work. These traps are very effective at protecting your home from carpenter bee damage by attracting carpenter bees to artificial “homes” rather than them burrowing in your wood to make their own home. This also allows you to get rid of carpenter bees without having to kill them.
When To Put Out Carpenter Bee Traps:
You should put out your carpenter bee traps at the beginning of Spring! Carpenter bees are most active during Spring and Early Summer, so you want to be prepared!
How To Attract Carpenter Bees Into A Trap!
To attract carpenter bees into a trap, you might need to use carpenter bee bait! There are many DIY baits available, but we suggest using Best Bee Brother’s Bait because it is much more effective and is designed specifically for carpenter bees!
Where To Hang Carpenter Bee Traps
The best place to hang carpenter bee traps is high up on the eves of your house and alongside the corners of your porch. You want to place carpenter bee traps in areas that the bees can easily see and have full access to.
Carpenter bee trap placement is extremely important for the success of your traps. There are two factors to consider before hanging carpenter bee traps in your home. Let’s find out what they are:
What To Put Inside Carpenter Bee Trap
To help attract carpenter bees to your trap, you should make a sugar solution. Mix half sugar, half water, and pour just a small amount inside of your trap. Carpenter bees are naturally attracted to these traps because they resemble nests, but adding a bit of sugar water will help to further convince them to enter the trap.
1. If you notice a carpenter bee infestation
If you observe a carpenter bee in your home, you want to first confirm that it is indeed a bee before implementing any solutions. Take a stroll around your home and any other external wooden structures. Do this with care to spot where the bees have constructed their nests. After that, we recommend using a plug, glue, or sealant to fill the holes.
If you notice that some bees are inside the holes, some loud play music or vibrating sounds close to them. That should scare the carpenter bees away. To persuade them to leave their nests, you can sprinkle a mixture of citrus oil and almond oil. You can then dilute with water.
Once you’re done with covering the holes, hang the traps. We suggest that you hang the traps above any sealed carpenter bee nests. After a while, the carpenter bees will discover that their nest is no longer there, causing them to look for a new, simple nest to build. This is when your trap comes in handy!
We also have a guide on killing carpenter bees if you’re looking for a more potent solution.
2. If you haven’t noticed a carpenter bee infestation
In this case, you have to be more strategic in your trap placement. If you do not notice a carpenter bee infestation yet, proceed with hanging the traps. At this point, you want to place the traps at the corners and peaks of the home, as well as in other wooden structures, barn, and patio.
It would help if you didn’t hang the traps under a rafter. That’s because the bees have a tendency to ignore such traps.
In addition, carpenter bees are attracted to warmth. So it would be best if you hung these traps in sunny areas and, maybe, take them out in the winter. At times, the bees may not enter the traps, but you’ll see them flying around. In such a situation, don’t get too worked up. The carpenter bees may need a little more time before becoming enticed with the traps.
Also, as soon as one carpenter bee later falls into the trap, it becomes easier to attract other bees. The reason is that dead bees give off a unique smell that leaves a trail for other bees to come in and inspect.
How Long Should My Carpenter Bee Traps Stay Hanging Up?
You may decide to let the carpenter bee traps remain throughout the year. The choice is up to you and there’s nothing bad about that. You may then remove your traps whenever you feel the need to do so.
The reason that most people remove the traps is that carpenter bees are more active in springtime. You’ll either find them mating or constructing their nets but then go AWOL during the winter season. The adult carpenter bees usually die after they get done with constructing their hives and laying their eggs in them. The eggs then mature in the springtime and continue the cycle.
In a nutshell, there really is no need for your bee trap to stay hanging during the cold periods of inactivity among these pests. Your traps should work so long as you set them out in the spring and put them away in the winter.
My Carpenter Bee Traps Aren’t Working
If your carpenter bee traps aren’t working, ensure you’re placing them in optimal positions where carpenter bees are going to notice them as well as find them enticing. You need to mimic their natural nesting habitat. Along with this, you might need to use carpenter bee bait to ensure that they are attracted to your traps rather than your porch or house siding!
How Many Carpenter Bee Traps Do I Need?
Keep in mind that each trap has to be within a fifteen-foot radius of your home. But if bee activity extends farther away from that distance, you can consider installing more traps. That’s because doing so ensures the proper protection of your home and keeps your property safe from intruding bees looking for nesting sites.
To get the exact amount of traps you need, we recommend that the span of the area you want to be protected should be measured and marked off at every 15 feet. That way, you can then source as many traps as necessary to cover the marked spaces.
You’ll get the best results if the traps are positioned in strategic corners and at the peaks of your building. The rationale behind this suggestion links to how carpenter bees have a territorial nature after their nest gets set up. They tend not to leave or move that much to a new area. Finding where to hang carpenter bee traps is one of the most important parts of the process.
Final Thoughts On Positioning Carpenter Bee Traps
Having learned where to hang carpenter bee traps in your home, you can now go ahead with the process. Always check for active nests whenever you notice that your carpenter bee traps are ineffective. If you find any, ensure to seal it up. By doing so, the carpenter bees will search for another nest and fall into the trap.
Always check to see if the trap is in the proper position. If you need help setting up a trap or getting rid of these bees, then get in touch with a professional best exterminator.
