How to Keep Away Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are a nuisance to homeowners.

Carpenter bees look similar to bumblebees except they have black, hairless tails. Carpenter bees damage your home by making small, perfectly round holes in wood to build nests. You commonly find carpenter bees flying underneath your wood deck or near fences and trees. Keeping away carpenter bees can lower your heart rate as well as keep your home safe from the annoying pest.

Things You'll Need

• Silicone caulk
• Ficam dust
• Hand duster
• Silicon putty

Instructions

1. Tightly close all garbage cans with secure-fitting lids. Easily accessible food sources attract carpenter bees.

2. Examine the exterior of your home for small holes or openings. Fill openings with silicone caulk. Silicone caulk is water resistant for year-round use. Openings are usually found near windows or paneling.

3. Fill the openings with a small amount of Ficam dust. Fill a hand duster halfway with Ficam dust. Shake the hand duster so that the air and Ficam dust mix. Squeeze the hand duster to apply the Ficam dust.

4. Leave the Ficam dust in the opening for 15 hours.

5. Apply silicone putty to close the opening. If there is a bee nest, the bees are exterminated when they make contact with the Ficam dust.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply the Ficam dust at night when there is little bee activity.

• Use protective clothing, goggles, mask and gloves when handling Ficam dust.

References

• Texas A&M University Extension; Carpenter Bees; Phillip J. Hamman, et al.
• University of Kentucky Extension; Controlling Nuisance Honey Bees; Ric Bessin
• Cornell University; Bendiocarb (Ficam) Chemical Profile

Resources

• University of Minnesota Extension; Wasp and Bee Control; Jeffrey Hahn, et al.