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Keep Carpenter Bees At Bay With This Easy-To-Make Trap
By EZEKIEL MAINA
Carpenter bees carve nests in wooden fixtures like fences, decks, and sheds, paving the way for water damage, rot, and eventual collapse. Stop them humanely with this simple trap.
You can make either a collector trap, which lures the bees into a container and prevents them from escaping, or a version that attracts and traps them in a sticky film.
You’ll need a long, 4 1⁄2-inch wide piece of wood, a clear plastic soda bottle (or glass jar), a small chain, a 7-inch wide plank, a measuring tape, nails, and a screw eye hook.
You’ll also need a hand saw, a drill, and a hammer. Cut the plank into four 8-inch sides and a 6-inch base. Use a piece of wood extending 1 inch over each edge for the roof.
Nail the side and top panels together, then use the 1/2-inch drill bit to crown each face with a 45-degree angled upward-facing tunnel — just dark enough to lure the bees in.
Drill one hole through the bottle cap and another the same size as the bottle cap through the midpoint of the bottom panel. Place the cap securely in the hole.
Secure the bottom panel, fasten the screw eye hook at the top, add hanging wire, and screw the bottle onto the cap. Finally, hang the trap in a sunny spot where bees congregate.
Use untreated cedar or pine for a carpenter bee trap; sugar water or honey is the best bait. Depending on the size of your property, you may need several traps.