Carpenter Bee Trap

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phideaux

phideaux

Old fashioned
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Nov 24, 2017
Messages
19,538
Location
West Ky
I have had a wood bee problem for about 5 years, and finally decided to get off my butt and make a few traps to hopefully slim down the herd.
Here's what I built , I built and hung 5 traps today.
make-a-carpenter-bee-trap-008 (1).jpg

I cut 5 pieces of 4x4 , 6 inches long.

Marked center of one end , used a 3/4" flat paddle wood bit to drill a hole 3-4" deep ,
Then drilled a 1/2" dia hole in each side centered to intersect the center 3/4" hole.
The 1/2" holes are drilled upward at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees . I think just any angle will work.
Then take a glass jar and lid , cut a 1" hole in center of lid , I used a forestner bit. Slowly.
Then tack or screw lid to bottom of block centered over the 3/4" bored hole . This is the bottom. Screw jar into lid ...use whatever you have on top for a hanger.
I had small eye bolts.

Hang them and watch the bees go in and can't get out .
I've seen many of these that work.
The bees enter the holes and follow the light from the jar, once in the jar they can't get out.

Jim
 
Last edited:
phideaux said:
I have had a wood bee problem for about 5 years, and finally decided to get off my butt and make a few traps to hopefully slim down the herd.
Here's what I built , I built and hung 5 traps today.
View attachment 39893
I cut 5 pieces of 4x4 , 6 inches long.

Marked center of one end , used a 3/4" flat paddle wood bit to drill a hole 3-4" deep ,
Then drilled a 1/2" dia hole in each side centered to intersect the center 3/4" hole.
The 1/2" holes are drilled upward at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees . I think just any angle will work.
Then take a glass jar and lid , cut a 1" hole in center of lid , I used a forestner bit. Slowly.
Then tack or screw lid to bottom of block centered over the 3/4" bored hole . This is the bottom. Screw jar into lid ...use whatever you have on top for a hanger.
I had small eye bolts.

Hang them and watch the news go in and can't get out .
I've seen many of these that work.
The bees enter the holes and follow the light from the jar, once in the jar they can't get out.

Jim
Click to expand...
Simple.
Ingenious.
Effective.
...now I just need to find me some bees.
 
phideaux said:
I have had a wood bee problem for about 5 years, and finally decided to get off my butt and make a few traps to hopefully slim down the herd.
Here's what I built , I built and hung 5 traps today.
View attachment 39893
I cut 5 pieces of 4x4 , 6 inches long.

Marked center of one end , used a 3/4" flat paddle wood bit to drill a hole 3-4" deep ,
Then drilled a 1/2" dia hole in each side centered to intersect the center 3/4" hole.
The 1/2" holes are drilled upward at an angle of 30 to 40 degrees . I think just any angle will work.
Then take a glass jar and lid , cut a 1" hole in center of lid , I used a forestner bit. Slowly.
Then tack or screw lid to bottom of block centered over the 3/4" bored hole . This is the bottom. Screw jar into lid ...use whatever you have on top for a hanger.
I had small eye bolts.

Hang them and watch the bees go in and can't get out .
I've seen many of these that work.
The bees enter the holes and follow the light from the jar, once in the jar they can't get out.

Jim
Click to expand...
Are those bumble bees?
 
phideaux said:
They look like bumble bees but bigger usually.
They don't sting, at least I've never had one sting.
They are really friendly...too friendly, not afraid of ya. Get right in your face.
They bore holes in lumber.

Jim
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim so thats whats been hanging around our porch and windows. Yes they are very friendly.
 
phideaux said:
I think this cold snap has sent all of them suckers back into hibernation.
I hung all 5 of mine in the shed yesterday ...not 1 single bee..I guess the traps are working...skeered them away.

Jim:ghostly:
Click to expand...

I feel sorry for them but do understand why we have to keep the munder control. So far we catch and let go if they get trapped on porch or greenhouse. We have a special net on porch for lizards,bees,frogs and spiders we can catch them in and release in yard.
 
Meerkat said:
I feel sorry for them but do understand why we have to keep the munder control. So far we catch and let go if they get trapped on porch or greenhouse. We have a special net on porch for lizards,bees,frogs and spiders we can catch them in and release in yard.
Click to expand...
Problem is , they bore enough holes in the roof lumber , it weakens the structure.
I even soaked the lumber with burnt oil to desuade them..I think they liked it.

They chew the wood , spit it out all over my equipment..its a mess..

So they gotta go.

Jim
 
phideaux said:
Problem is , they bore enough holes in the roof lumber , it weakens the structure.
I even soaked the lumber with burnt oil to desuade them..I think they liked it.

They chew the wood , spit it out all over my equipment..its a mess..

So they gotta go.

Jim
Click to expand...
I do understand mayebe got a little of that tree hugger syndrone in me.But I never had to fight the encironment so I had the luxuary of being a Hindo type of person. So ignore my touch of liberalsm, and GO GET EM jim.:D:thumbs:
 
Meerkat said:
I do understand mayebe got a little of that tree hugger syndrone in me.But I never had to fight the encironment so I had the luxuary of being a Hindo type of person. So ignore my touch of liberalsm, and GO GET EM jim.:D:thumbs:
Click to expand...

A wee bit of that old hippy coming out... ;)

I have to watch myself at times.....
(Don't ever harm a king snake)

Jim
 
phideaux said:
A wee bit of that old hippy coming out... ;)

I have to watch myself at times.....
(Don't ever harm a king snake)

Jim
Click to expand...

Well not so much hippy,they could be fun for a laugh and still are in some of their songs' Dr.Hook' and movies'Cheech and Chong :LOL:,but I was trying to be wife and mother so didn't like the idea ex , kids father had 7 kids during out marrage and only 3 were ours.:waiting: ,plus it made some of my brothers and cousins laugh when things wer'nt funny,😵stoned on pot.I didn't like drugs at all,saw a kid in ER die horrible death on acid made me paranoid.Probably saved my life.
 
Spikedriver said:
So, these are bees that don't make honey?
Click to expand...

There are two species of wood boring bees in the eastern US that are a pain to home owners everywhere, especially those with barns or sheds. They are “Xylocopa virginica” aka eastern carpenter bee and its larger cousin “Bombus impatiens” or eastern bumble bee. Both are colored yellow and black. B. impatiens is large and friendly, most annoying. The eastern carpenter bee is not so friendly and is just as good at pollinating as the regular old honey bee. The bumble bee does its fair share of pollinating also.

Either will wreck the rafters in a shed.
 
Peanut said:
There are two species of wood boring bees in the eastern US that are a pain to home owners everywhere, especially those with barns or sheds. They are “Xylocopa virginica” aka eastern carpenter bee and its larger cousin “Bombus impatiens” or eastern bumble bee. Both are colored yellow and black. B. impatiens is large and friendly, most annoying. The eastern carpenter bee is not so friendly and is just as good at pollinating as the regular old honey bee. The bumble bee does its fair share of pollinating also.

Either will wreck the rafters in a shed.
Click to expand...

One of them did a number on out dogs foot Monday. She hopped around for a few hours then slight limp for a couple days. She half killed it but hubby finished it off because it was suffering .
 
Yellow Jackets are bees too but they eat meat. You bait a yellow jacket trap with meat and coke. No not that kind the drink.
 
Carpenter bees (wood boring bees) are very destructive. Before making my bee traps (which work great) I would kill the bees with a badminton racquet. One day for sport I was shooting them with a .410 shotgun. I know I can't eliminate them all but the traps are the best method I have found so far.
 
Yesterday the wood bees were out in force again , it was in the 70s.
I think I have caught 4 bees in the traps. 2 of them are empty.

Today was too cold , none were out.
Tomorrow we I'll be in the 70s and Saturday but in be the 80s.

I hope I by catch a bunch.

Jim
 
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