What’s The Deal With Borer Bees?

Borer Bee

Have you ever noticed those large bees that look similar to a bumblebee, except they aren’t nearly as “cute” and look more like they are wearing a shiny coat of armor?

These bees are called borer bees, or, more commonly known as carpenter bees. Seeing these bees flying around outside under the eaves or in and out of your shutters can be an alarming sight, especially if you are caught off guard and aren’t expecting them.

Boorer Bee on woodend surface

The good thing about seeing these bees is that you don’t have to worry about getting stung by one because they tend not to sting unless they feel threatened or provoked. Also, they rarely cause major structural damage to a wooden structure because their tunnels tend to stay near the surface. With that said, you don’t want to let them go because the integrity of your structure will certainly falter if the problem isn’t dealt with.

You may be wondering how to get rid of borer bees, and if so, you’re in the right place! We are going to talk about the different methods of borer bees control and borer bees prevention.

How To Getting Rid Of Borer Bees

When it comes to borer bees removal, you can kill them, or you can use home remedies that will get rid of them without harming them.

If you want to kill the bees, you can:

  • Sprinkle any openings with a residual insecticide dust
  • Douse the area with a bee spray
  • Fill in the holes with a cork during the colder months

Dousing The Area With A Bee Spray

When you decide that you want to kill the borer bees, you will first want to start with a liquid treatment spray and target the entrance to the nest. If you don’t see it on top of the wood, it most likely will be hidden underneath. The best time to spray the insecticide will be during the Spring, leaving three to four weeks in-between applications.

Bee Spray

Sprinkle The Openings With An Insecticide Residual Dust

After you have sprayed the entrance to the nest with the insecticide, you will then want to sprinkle insecticide dust inside the hole as another layer of borer bee control. To get the dust deeper into the hole, you’ll want to find a brand that features a flexible or curved tip so that it will be able to get in the 90-degree angle most bee entrances have.

Insecticide Residual Dust

Fill In The Nest Holes With A Filling Compound During The Winter Months

After you’ve used the spray and the dust, you’ll want to plug the holes with a filling compound. There are differing opinions on what material you should plug the holes with. Some will tell you that a wood filler compound is an acceptable medium, others will say you could use putty or caulk that you would use inside your home, but the most common and preferred agent would be a cork.

Filling Compound

We do want to note that when you choose to use a silicone sealer like putty or caulk, you aren’t giving the newly hatched borer bees a way to get out, so they are going to bore new holes. At least when you use cork, any eggs that do hatch will come out of the already established hole. So when you go back to your house, you can see new holes that have been made in the cork and repeat the process.

Home Remedies That Will Not Kill Borer Bees

If you are against the idea of killing any sort of living creature, Home Remedy Hacks has a few ideas that will help you get rid of these pests without harming them. These methods include:

  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Noise
  • ​Citrus Spray
  • Almond Oils and Essences

Use A Vacuum Cleaner To Suck Out The Borer Bees

If you spot a brand new nest, you can take the smallest attachment on your vacuum cleaner and suck the bees out of the nest. You’ll want to use a strong vacuum. Otherwise, you will not be able to get them all. The best time to do this is during the evening because this is when they are nesting for the night.

Vacuming up Bees

Creating Noise

Creating a lot of noise is a great way to get rid of borer bees simply because they don’t like noise. Just set some speakers up by the nest and play some loud music. This will get the bees to fly away without actually causing them any harm.

Speakers for Noise Generation

Citrus Sprays

Wherever you see a nest, spray the area with a citrus-based spray that has been made especially for getting rid of bees. If you can’t find any citric bee sprays or don’t want to spend money on it, you do have an option where you can make your own if you have an abundance of fruit on hand.

Citrus Bee Repeleant Spray

Simply take citrus fruit like lemons, oranges, grapefruit or lime and put it in a full pot of water and then bring it to a rapid boil. When the water cools, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and go at it.

Almond Oils And Essences

Along with citrus, bees really don’t like almond scent. Spray some water with almond oil around the bee nest and its opening and the bees will vacate the premises.

Almond Oil Spray

Borer Bee Round-Up

Trying to figure out how to get rid of borer bees no longer has to keep you up at night. We’ve discussed how to kill borer bees as well as how to repel them without causing them harm. Experts will probably tell you that you cannot eradicate them entirely, but there are steps you can do to control them from getting too out of hand. Why, even if you do decide to go the chemical route and kill them, you can use the citrus sprays to prevent them from returning.

One thing is certain, if you notice that you have a problem with borer bees, you will want to take care of it sooner rather than later and follow up with preventative measures to keep them from returning!