Deterring carpenter bees

Carpenter bees are abundant here. They can cause a lot of damage and seem to prefer dimensional lumber to more wild sources of wood. Last summer I salvaged 2x4s from a deer stand. It was built from treated lumber, but the carpenter bees had done a number on the place nonetheless. Each board was about 1/2 wood and 1/2 burrow. Still useful, but unusually light and not as strong as it once was.  They've also been burrowing into the structure of my barn for some time. I'm afraid that one day it might suddenly collapse.

Somewhere on the internet I learned that carpenter bees are afraid of hornets and a well placed hornet nest, even if inactive, would send them looking for another place to raise their young. I wanted to find a real hornet nest and put it up, but they are hard to find. So I made a few fake ones out of paper bags and hung them around the barn. To me, my creation doesn't look like much of a hornet nest. Hopefully it fools the carpenter bees. If this works, it would be much easier than alternative solutions (painting all the structural wood or constantly poisoning the bees). The carpenter bees should start flying in the coming weeks and I will be watching them. Wish me luck.

I do not know how true or not it is, but I am doing an experiment this upcoming spring.

I have a front porch that has seen better days. It needs the whole roof replaced at this time. I know there is a carpenter bee next in part of it so I'm going to try and extract them prior to all the work.

Allegedly vibrations annoy them?

I am going to try some wind chimes hung by their nest and if that doesn't work I have a bluetooth speaker that has quite a bit of bass to it. I'm going to see how much they and my neighbors like baby shark.

We will see how it goes!

Jake Esselstyn wrote:Somewhere on the internet I learned that carpenter bees are afraid of hornets and a well-placed hornet nest, even if inactive, would send them looking for another place to raise their young. I wanted to find a real hornet nest and put it up, but they are hard to find. So I made a few fake ones out of paper bags and hung them around the barn. To me, my creation doesn't look like much of a hornet nest. Hopefully it fools the carpenter bees. If this works, it would be much easier than alternative solutions (painting all the structural wood or constantly poisoning the bees). The carpenter bees should start flying in the coming weeks and I will be watching them. Wish me luck.

To make a realistic Bald-faced Hornet's nest, get a large balloon, and blow it up to about the size of a basketball only more oval. Make up some papermaché with flour and water. Soak newspaper strips in it until they are sodden then apply to the balloon. Do it in stages. Don't be neat. Hornet nests are pretty lumpy. Go online to see a photo of what you're trying to make. The knotted end is where you'll tie your string. Spray it with light gray paint once dry. Paint the hole black at the top of the balloon that will be the bottom once it's hung.

Use a paint that's waterproof or resistant so your project doesn't fall apart. The balloon will eventually lose air but if you use enough paper, it should hold its shape.

In the meantime, if you spot any homing in on an area, mix dishsoap and water. Load up a supersoaker and let fly. The soap will cover their spiracles for long enough that those you sprayed will smother to death. That trick works well on coons, skunks, ants you name it. Don't try it on a bear though. For skunks, as soon as it lifts its tail, fire. You have to hit it before it starts to spray. Supersoakers are extremely accurate. You can put other stuff in as well as soap and water for more effect but the soap is essential and so is the water.