Build some pollinator boxes so they have different places to go and plug holes in your house as you find them.
Possible_Ad_4094
This isn’t the type of b-hole that I specialize in, but I’ll take a crack at it.
For hole itself, you’ll want to fill it. You can shove a cork or dowel in it. Or fill it with something white and sticky, like wood glue.
For the intruder that destroyed your b-hole, they make traps for them. Carpenter bees love a good box, but will always fall for traps.
flyer1979
Get a dowel that fits tightly in the hole…”that’s what she said!” Glue it in.
_hawkeye_96
Heh, “bee hole problem” heheh
crabbones
Preparation H. Good luck
Hans_Olo_1023
For a b-hole problem you’re going to want to go to your GP and get a referral to a gastroenterologist or a colorectal surgeon. A colonoscopy is not that bad and everyone should get checked out. Good luck with your b-hole!
Sparrowbuck
Well a bee house would be good, because pollinators are good. As for keeping them off the house, orange oil. They don’t like it.
WilliamOfMaine
After filling the holes spray wood with diluted orange oil (the essential oils type)
Grumpsbme
You can stop them from coming in but they will still exist and only find a new place to make their home, and that may not be better for you. If they are a problem- you must deal with it. The best way to do that would be a dust application. It’s easy to do. YouTube how!
Iron_Eagl
Those are Carpenter Bees, they nest in dry, unfinished wood. I would suggest plugging the existing holes, and then painting or varnishing all unfinished wood around.
Hopeful-Flounder-203
Penicillin should take care of it.
Edit: ohhh, you said “bee hole”. Nevermind.
blastborn
Avoid spicy food
Tcanuth
I waged a 3 year war against these guys in my neighborhood. Males are aggressive but harmless. Females live in the holes and can sting but usually only when cornered.
Never had luck with the traps.
Get some carpenter bee spray. Spray it in there and they will come right on out for the last time.
Stuff some diatomaceous earth in the hole
Put in a cork
Paint over any exposed wood they are chewing into.
Get a badminton racket to take out the adults still in the area. Usually in spring and fall you will see them searching for holes or hovering near their nest.
Its a shame because they are good pollinators but not when they are tearing up your property.
I have seen some carpenter bee houses you can buy. Never tried those but ive been curious.
Good luck. Consistency is key when you can’t control neighbors upkeep as well.
Synyster723
I’ve heard hanging a paper bag works wonders for them. Fill it with grocery bags and hang it, making it look like a hornet nest. My brother swears by it, though I haven’t tried it myself yet.
ThrowRAwareJellyfish
Don’t do anything to kill them or seriously harm them. Bees are very important as you know and facing extinction!
DO NOT PLUG THE HOLE Blocking the entrance traps them inside. They’ll either find another exit (maybe into your house) or die and cause decay and odor.
Contact a humane pest control company or local beekeeper (some will remove bumblebees too).
They might be able to relocate the nest or guide you on how to deter them safely.
Bumblebee nests are usually shallow compared to honeybee hives—easier to remove.
Prevent future nests by using fine mesh screens on vents.
Seal small cracks around siding, foundation, eaves.
A mix of peppermint oil and water can be a gentle deterrent, though it’s not a guaranteed repellent.
40ozSmasher
I believe that’s a carpenter bee? Should be safe to ignore it.
unica_unica
Serious question, can they actually do real harm to structures? A small hole seems like a small price to pay. I like having them around
56KandFalling
We’re facing a mass extinction and everyone here is going “kill them” – wtaf?
Do not plug them, that will either kill the bees or they’ll dig through attempting to get out elsewhere – that could be inside the house.
They are usually pretty harmless. Create a lot of places they can live in around the house and they’re likely to live there instead.
Love the fact that there still are insects around, please!
Chix213
Kill bee. Fill hole. No problem.
No_Lifeguard4092
We use steel wool to stuff into the holes.
awill237
Carpenter bees, yes. We always just waited until we saw them exit and plugged the holes with scrap fiberglass insulation. I *think* they’re one bee per hole, like blue orchard bees. If they were inside, they’d push the insulation out to exit but wouldn’t mess with it to try to enter again. We usually had to deal with maybe one bee per year. They weren’t particularly aggressive or stubborn. When we evicted them, they’d just move on down the block.
zychicmoi
pollinator boxes where you want them and as others said, plug the bee hole. lol. a lot of people aren’t fans of carpenter bees, but they don’t really sting, they’re fairly solitary and mine run off wasps so I like to give them places to hang out and stand guard.
bloopbloopsplat
I use a pest control company. They spray for them, and we get it redone every year now. When we bought this house, it had a pretty bad infestation. I would take care of it ASAP because they will literally eat through your house. We have holes EVERYWHERE thanks to the previous owners simply hanging a couple traps, and that’s all they did. It was definitely not enough
They can cause serious damage op.
Vindaloo6363
Use foam carpenter ant/bee insecticide then plug with a dowel or caulk. Spray bare wood with permethrin to keep them away. Painting also works. Get rid of them before they make huge galleries and the woodpeckers open them up.
My father in-law put a little water in his. They have worked well. Good luck!
Upstanding_Richard
First of all, I’d certainly choose different words 😂
Summertown416
Seal or paint the wood to remove the attraction for carpenter bees.
seabornman
“Carpenter bee traps”. Look it up. I made several out of old 4x4s and mayonnaise jars. They work.
NextSimple9757
Spray WD-40 on the holes
stathread
Orange Glo. They hate citrus.
ragamuffyn85
Yeah, I’d rather not hurt them. I’d prefer suggestions that involve coexisting. I bought one of those natural wood hotels, a big nice one at that. I’m going to fill the existing holes and see if I can reach an amicable arrangement with the bees. Probably try some orange oil on the untreated wood and go from there. I eat meat, but also don’t like killing things. It’s quite the conundrum. I was cooking burgers the other day as I looked out my kitchen window watching out cat devoir the cutest chipmunk from the neck down, tail sticking out of her mouth. I wanted to stop our cat, but I realized I am cooking beef and at least she caught her food
32 Comments
[deleted]
Build some pollinator boxes so they have different places to go and plug holes in your house as you find them.
This isn’t the type of b-hole that I specialize in, but I’ll take a crack at it.
For hole itself, you’ll want to fill it. You can shove a cork or dowel in it. Or fill it with something white and sticky, like wood glue.
For the intruder that destroyed your b-hole, they make traps for them. Carpenter bees love a good box, but will always fall for traps.
Get a dowel that fits tightly in the hole…”that’s what she said!” Glue it in.
Heh, “bee hole problem” heheh
Preparation H. Good luck
For a b-hole problem you’re going to want to go to your GP and get a referral to a gastroenterologist or a colorectal surgeon. A colonoscopy is not that bad and everyone should get checked out. Good luck with your b-hole!
Well a bee house would be good, because pollinators are good. As for keeping them off the house, orange oil. They don’t like it.
After filling the holes spray wood with diluted orange oil (the essential oils type)
You can stop them from coming in but they will still exist and only find a new place to make their home, and that may not be better for you. If they are a problem- you must deal with it. The best way to do that would be a dust application. It’s easy to do. YouTube how!
Those are Carpenter Bees, they nest in dry, unfinished wood. I would suggest plugging the existing holes, and then painting or varnishing all unfinished wood around.
Penicillin should take care of it.
Edit: ohhh, you said “bee hole”. Nevermind.
Avoid spicy food
I waged a 3 year war against these guys in my neighborhood. Males are aggressive but harmless. Females live in the holes and can sting but usually only when cornered.
Never had luck with the traps.
Get some carpenter bee spray. Spray it in there and they will come right on out for the last time.
Stuff some diatomaceous earth in the hole
Put in a cork
Paint over any exposed wood they are chewing into.
Get a badminton racket to take out the adults still in the area. Usually in spring and fall you will see them searching for holes or hovering near their nest.
Its a shame because they are good pollinators but not when they are tearing up your property.
I have seen some carpenter bee houses you can buy. Never tried those but ive been curious.
Good luck. Consistency is key when you can’t control neighbors upkeep as well.
I’ve heard hanging a paper bag works wonders for them. Fill it with grocery bags and hang it, making it look like a hornet nest. My brother swears by it, though I haven’t tried it myself yet.
Don’t do anything to kill them or seriously harm them. Bees are very important as you know and facing extinction!
DO NOT PLUG THE HOLE Blocking the entrance traps them inside. They’ll either find another exit (maybe into your house) or die and cause decay and odor.
Contact a humane pest control company or local beekeeper (some will remove bumblebees too).
They might be able to relocate the nest or guide you on how to deter them safely.
Bumblebee nests are usually shallow compared to honeybee hives—easier to remove.
Prevent future nests by using fine mesh screens on vents.
Seal small cracks around siding, foundation, eaves.
A mix of peppermint oil and water can be a gentle deterrent, though it’s not a guaranteed repellent.
I believe that’s a carpenter bee? Should be safe to ignore it.
Serious question, can they actually do real harm to structures? A small hole seems like a small price to pay. I like having them around
We’re facing a mass extinction and everyone here is going “kill them” – wtaf?
Do not plug them, that will either kill the bees or they’ll dig through attempting to get out elsewhere – that could be inside the house.
They are usually pretty harmless. Create a lot of places they can live in around the house and they’re likely to live there instead.
Love the fact that there still are insects around, please!
Kill bee. Fill hole. No problem.
We use steel wool to stuff into the holes.
Carpenter bees, yes. We always just waited until we saw them exit and plugged the holes with scrap fiberglass insulation. I *think* they’re one bee per hole, like blue orchard bees. If they were inside, they’d push the insulation out to exit but wouldn’t mess with it to try to enter again. We usually had to deal with maybe one bee per year. They weren’t particularly aggressive or stubborn. When we evicted them, they’d just move on down the block.
pollinator boxes where you want them and as others said, plug the bee hole. lol. a lot of people aren’t fans of carpenter bees, but they don’t really sting, they’re fairly solitary and mine run off wasps so I like to give them places to hang out and stand guard.
I use a pest control company. They spray for them, and we get it redone every year now. When we bought this house, it had a pretty bad infestation. I would take care of it ASAP because they will literally eat through your house. We have holes EVERYWHERE thanks to the previous owners simply hanging a couple traps, and that’s all they did. It was definitely not enough
They can cause serious damage op.
Use foam carpenter ant/bee insecticide then plug with a dowel or caulk. Spray bare wood with permethrin to keep them away. Painting also works. Get rid of them before they make huge galleries and the woodpeckers open them up.
I see lots of comments on how to fix the holes, but thought I’d share a link to a video showing you how to make a [carpenter bee trap](https://youtu.be/KE-H2Ss8QHM?si=KPBOQPMI1PKvNDzr).
My father in-law put a little water in his. They have worked well. Good luck!
First of all, I’d certainly choose different words 😂
Seal or paint the wood to remove the attraction for carpenter bees.
“Carpenter bee traps”. Look it up. I made several out of old 4x4s and mayonnaise jars. They work.
Spray WD-40 on the holes
Orange Glo. They hate citrus.
Yeah, I’d rather not hurt them. I’d prefer suggestions that involve coexisting. I bought one of those natural wood hotels, a big nice one at that. I’m going to fill the existing holes and see if I can reach an amicable arrangement with the bees. Probably try some orange oil on the untreated wood and go from there. I eat meat, but also don’t like killing things. It’s quite the conundrum. I was cooking burgers the other day as I looked out my kitchen window watching out cat devoir the cutest chipmunk from the neck down, tail sticking out of her mouth. I wanted to stop our cat, but I realized I am cooking beef and at least she caught her food