Carpenter bees belong to the Xylocopa species. They got the “carpenter” bee name from their behavior of burrowing and nesting in wood products. Additionally, they are commonly confused with bumble bees due to their identical features, however, carpenter bees have a more shiny stomach than the bumblebees.
Unlike carpenter bees, carpenter ants don’t fly and are in much larger colonies. They don’t feed on wood but rather build their nests.
Ants come into houses because they are mainly attracted by food. Therefore, many people may find it much harder to get rid of carpenter bees than ants.
Table of Contents
How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Bees In Your Home
Carpenter bees cause damage to woods from their burrowing and nesting behavior. This lowers wood durability and quality. To curb this problem, here are some of the best ways to get rid of carpenter bees in your home. We have included both natural ways to get rid of carpenter bees and those that are more harsh, which may result in them dying.
Bee killer pesticide
Go to a local pest control store and purchase a bee killer pesticide. The pesticide contains a manual guide on how to apply the pesticide. The manual contains safety measures on precautions one should take to prevent injury and damage. In addition, it’s advisable that one should follow all the instructions provided.
Trap the bees in their nests
Simply, block the openings to their nests. Use hard materials such as plastic cuttings, and rubber to seal the burrows. This will hinder access and will save the cost of purchasing insecticides.
Repair or replace damaged wood with hardwood
Naturally, carpenter bees prefer softwoods such as cedar, pine, and redwood. As a preventive measure, use hardwood products such as; Mahogany, oak, teak, and Walnut. These woods are made of tough and rigid materials that make it difficult for the bees to burrow in and make nests.
Paint repaired wood parts
Bees prefer natural wood. So, in the event, whether the wood has impurities and stains, the bees will keep off. Polyurethane paints are the more preferential paints to apply on wood. Paint the repaired parts and the whole house as a precaution. Bees and other pests will avoid painted wood.
Use treated wood to replace or repair infested wood
Basically, wood is pressure heated and treated with arsenic and Chromium to improve its lifespan and prevent pest infestation such as termites. Using treated wood will help prevent carpenter bees from invading.
Of course, this would be a more expensive route to take but if you need to upgrade it in the home anyway, it may be worth just purchasing treated wood.
Using WD40 to get rid of carpenter bees
For those that want to get rid of bees naturally, you may want to look away as this will not be the most gentle of approaches. However, it is very effective and uses a product that is very well known. Of course, it is a WD40 but it also can be an alternative aerosol carburettor cleaner.
Simply spray the formula into the holes that they are burrowed and it will have two effectives. The first effective from using WD40 is that they die instantly and the other is that they will simply find it uninhabitable.
Be sure to cover your face and not have any flammable substances around you whilst spraying WD40.
Conclusion
There are many effective methods of getting rid of carpenter bees in your home and some do so naturally and do not kill them but others are more aggressive. Whatever approach you take, there are many tactics that work and do the job.