The carpenter bee's are ruining my patio. I have a screened in back patio and it's made of wood. And up over the door is a wooden plate that the carpenter bee's have already drilled 3 holes. What can I do?
Donna (N.C.)
"Paint" the holes with Drione Dust, in the evening, when the bees are inactive. The bees won't eat your patio, they're still bees and their primary food is pollen. They only drill holes to nest in the wood. The females will drag the dust in the nest with them, killing the larvae. A couple weeks after treating, you can plug the holes.
If the wood is not painted/stained, you should do so. Paint would probably be a better choice, to keep them from returning.
HTH
Just about anything you use will get them if you can contact the bee. Hit the holes at night or when you notice the female entering a hole. Guessing the area where they are drilling is unpainted or in need of a fresh coat, that can also help keep them away.
Lar
you can get Drione from a pest control supply house...do it your self type pest control store front,,,, or over the web. Drione is probably the most expensive dust you will buy. Any sort of dust works fine...sevin dust from the garden center...flea powder that contains pyrethrin...can of raid from under the sink...water hose, flood the foot long gallery, flush out the bee, then step on it.
Lar
The wood is stained, but I guess I need to stain it again. Where do I get Drione Dust?
Thanks Lar! My wood is stained, but hasn't been stained since last year.
It's available many places online for around $30 per lb. I suggested it because it's much safer to use than other chemicals (such as Sevin (Carbaryl), etc). 1 pound goes a long way (800 sq/ft). I believe it's also available in an aerosol, but I've no experience with that.
Enter it in your favorite search engine and compare it with other chemicals, for more info.
Thanks Eggs!
Thank you Dave for that info. I learned a lot about carpenter bee's that I didn't know. Thanks!
Welcome. Can't take credit though. Google found it for me.
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