Skip Chemicals: Trap Carpenter Bees With A Versatile, Weather-Proof Solution

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There are plenty of types of beneficial bees you'll want in your garden, but unlike beloved bumblebees or honeybees, carpenter bees come with a substantial downside. While they are still important pollinators, these bees burrow holes in dead wood. In their natural habitat, this would mean dead trees and fallen branches, but in more suburban and urban settings, man-made structures become a target. Carpenter bee damage can eventually progress from unsightly to severe if the bees return year after year, so taking action may be necessary. Instead of relying on pesticides that can harm other beneficial insects, however, consider a more natural solution: the Best Bee Trap wood carpenter bee trap.

This trap is available on Amazon for $25.99 and provides an all-natural way to get rid of carpenter bees. Comprised of a simple wood block with some holes, a plastic jar, and a hook, this basic device doesn't need any special bait or chemicals to work. Carpenter bees naturally seek out holes in wood as a place to nest, but once they fly into the channels in this trap, they will become stuck in the jar, eventually dying when they can't fly out. This approach will, of course, kill the carpenter bees on your property, but compared to the potential impacts of pesticides, it's an overall more environmentally friendly solution. If you're not keen on the idea of killing these insects, consider first trying out deterrent methods like painting vulnerable wood, installing wind chimes, or adding pots of lemon balm, the fresh-smelling plant they can't stand.

To ensure that your bee trap is effective, you have to set it up to be attractive to your targets. Luckily, installation is very simple with the included screw eye, so all you really need to worry about is the placement. Carpenter bees naturally seek out warm, sunny locations, and according to the manufacturer, the best height for the trap is 5 to 7 feet off the ground. Go for areas where carpenter bees are likely to poke around — the corners of your home are common targets — or place the trap near spots where you've spotted damage in the past.

To draw the bees away from your existing structures, plug any holes that the bees have already made with cork, caulk, or putty. While you're repairing the existing damage, now's also a good time to paint or varnish your wood. Carpenter bees are attracted to lumber that's unfinished or worn, so by plugging up the holes and giving everything a fresh coat of paint or varnish, you'll essentially lock up their existing home while leaving them with a brand new apartment next door. They'll naturally find their way to the nearest and most convenient source of shelter, but unfortunately for them, there won't be any clearly marked exits.

This Best Bee Trap carpenter bee trap has earned a 4.2-star average across over 200 reviews, and while most customers were satisfied with their purchase, a few found some potential issues with the product. One major problem that customers seemed to face was the trap's durability after getting wet. "The jar itself is a weak plastic and with too much pressure it will easily crack/break. I had the trap hung up for couple of weeks. We had rain during that time, off and on. I went to empty it and the wood had swollen and [the] jar would not unscrew. As I mentioned the jar being plastic got a small crack and I just stopped trying to unscrew it," one 3-star reviewer stated on Amazon. To prevent this issue, consider placing the trap somewhere that doesn't get direct exposure to rain — under eaves, for example, or beneath the shelter of the porch.

Some customers also noted that it took some time for the trap to start working, but once the first few bees fell for the ruse, others found their way in. According to the company, placing an already dead bee in the trap can help to speed up this process due to the pheromones it emits, but there's also the option to purchase some Best Bee Brothers Carpenter Bee Bait to get things going straight away. Either way, customers generally agree that the trap is an effective, chemical-free solution, though some believe that it's a little overpriced considering its simple design and inexpensive materials.