How To Build A Carpenter Bee Trap
This easy DIY idea on How to build a Carpenter Bee Trap to get rid of those destructive creatures really does work. One of my friends recently made these traps because the bees were destroying a brand new deck they had made. So he came across this DIY and thought it wouldn’t hurt to try it. He is so glad that he did because in less than a day he had already had 2 bees trapped. If you have a problem with carpenter bees then be sure to try this!
How To Build A Carpenter Bee Trap
Tools Needed:
Circular saw (or a hand saw)
Drill
1/2″ wood bit
7/8″ wood bit
1/2″ metal bit
Square
Punch
Hammer
Tape measure
Screw driver
Pencil
Materials Needed:
4×4 post (A scrap of one is fine because you just need seven inches)
Mason jar (half pint or a regular mouth pint)
Screw eye (1)
Wood screws
Step 1: Measure seven inches up from the end of your 4×4. Then, draw a 45-degree angle that radiates down from this point.
Step 2: Use a circular saw or a hand saw to cut the angle that you just marked. This will leave you with a block of wood that is seven-inches tall in the back and four-inches tall in the front.
Step 3: Flip your 4×4 piece over, so that the flat bottom is facing up, and mark its center. Then, drill a 7/8-inch hole at the center point that is approximately 4-inches deep. Take care to keep your hole straight.
Step 4: Now, mark the location of your entry holes on the four sides of your block. Each hole should be two inches from the bottom and one and three-quarter inches from each side. Use your 1/2-inch wood bit to make your holes at an upward 45-degree angle. Continue drilling until your hole connects with the hole that you drilled from the bottom. Then, repeat with the remaining holes.
Step 5: Unscrew the lid from your jar, and lay it on a piece of scrap lumber or a heavy metal plate. Find the center of your lid and mark it. Then, divide the distance between the center hole and the lip to find and mark the spots that you’ll use to screw the jar to the trap. Use a punch to make your holes.
Step 6: Use a 1/2-inch metal bit to make the center hole larger. Leave the other holes as is.
Step 7: Stick the lid back inside its ring, and screw the lid onto the bottom of your trap, taking care to make sure the 1/2-inch hole on your lid lines up with the 7/8-inch hole at the base of your trap.
Step 8: Add a screw eye to the top of your trap and hang.
How the Trap Works: Carpenter bees discover one of the outer holes and crawl inside it to lay eggs. Once inside, the 45-degree tunnel casts their entry point in the shadows. They see light coming up from the hole at the base of the trap, and move towards it, assuming it’s the exit. Instead of finding their way out, they find themselves in the jar, and can’t figure out how to get back out.
It’s definitely important to block the holes right away because it forces the bees, who weren’t in their nests when you sprayed, to go in search of new nesting sites, and it also kills the larvae they’ve laid, so you don’t have more bees hatching out next year. Carpenter bees will build their nests in existing holes, if they can find them, so if you have a trap full of carpenter bee-sized holes hanging near by, they’re likely to crawl inside to check it out, and when they do, you’ll have them trapped.
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Shelley is a boy mom, marine wife, and is blessed with an amazing family. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
Carpenter Bee Traps —– These things WORK!!!! Neighbor man makes and sells them for $10.00 and I swear by them!!! Enjoy seeing that mason jar get full of those pesky things!!!!
Carpenter bees are our pollinators. Many people think they are pests, but humans are the pest of the bees. Every 3rd bite of food you eat comes from bees (all bees), think about that the next time you eat. The bees can survive without us, but we cannot survive without them.
I agree with Monica above. Try to stop them by filling holes with rocks and pounding in short dowels to discourage them. They DO help with pollination and are a necessary part of the ecosystem. Big mistake to kill them. -M
Plant some sunflowers a distance away from the deck. You will see plenty of bees go there. It’s ok to protect your thousands of dollars investment in your deck.