Carpenter Bee Questions

The ideal time to hang traps is in the spring when the weather is getting warmer. This is typically when it is consistently 65 F degrees or more during the day. It is during this time that adult carpenter bees are emerging and starting to mate and looking for a nest. While you may have the most success during the spring, you can still prevent future carpenter bees’ occupancy during the remaining summer months. No matter what time of year you are hanging the traps, you'll want to repair any damage and fill nests.

The Bee-licious Bee Bait can be applied in two ways. You can add a small dab to the bottom plastic container of the trap, or squirt it into the trap through the bee entrance holes. Once your traps starts catching carpenter bees, you do not need to reapply the bait. Each time you empty the trap you can add a small amount, but it's not necessary. If you see the bees reacting well to the bait, then keep up the applications for best results.

All our traps come fully assembled. However, when setting them up you will need to pull the plastic receptacle out of the base of the trap, which is tucked for easy shipping. The Best Bee Trap requires you to first pull down the plastic collection container before hanging on or mounting to your wooden structure. The Pine Wood Carpenter Bee Box Trap is also fully assembled and comes with a metal chain for hanging.

Both the original Best Bee Trap and the Pine Wood Trap have a patented, species-specific, bio-behavioral design that mimics the nest of a carpenter bee to lure bees to the trap. The main difference is that the Pine Wood Trap has a more discrete bee collection chamber located inside the trap.

Mounting the trap to something stable keeps the trap from blowing in the wind and rain. Minimizing the movement of the trap increases the chances a carpenter bee believes the trap is a desirable location for their nest.

If you have already been visited by carpenter bees, watch to see what areas they are drawn to and place the traps there. That's where you should hang them! To help attract carpenter bees to the trap, remember to fill in or plug old nests before putting up the trap. Our Wooden Cork plugs work well for this!

If you have not seen any carpenter bees yet, then place the traps in visible locations. Eaves and corners work well but are not required. We have an excellent article about trap placement here.

Each trap has a 15-foot working radius. This means you will get 15 feet of protection surrounding the trap on all sides. If the area you are looking to protect is larger than that, you’ll want to place additional traps accordingly.

We have a great article about how our traps work here.  

Our traps are designed to work passively by utilizing the carpenter bee’s natural pheromone. The first dead carpenter bee to get caught in the trap emits this powerful attractant. You can jump-start the collection process by placing a dead carpenter bee, if you have one, in the trap. If you are having difficulty trapping that very first bee, our BEE-Licious Bee Bait may be the perfect jump start. However, adding chemicals to the trap could result in the trap not working so it is best to stick with very natural sources.

We don’t recommend using pesticides to combat carpenter bees. Our traps are designed to work naturally and without chemicals. However, every situation is different, and some carpenter bee infestations may warrant the use of pesticides. If you require pesticides to destroy existing carpenter bee nests, we recommend using a powder rather than a liquid. Terminating the nests is is an essential step to control carpenter bee damage; we have laid out our favorite treatment plan here.

We do not recommend painting or staining your trap. The exposed soft wood is a design feature to lure carpenter bees. Stains and paints both have strong chemical smells that will deter rather than attract carpenter bees. We also wrote a blog answering the question and tips on getting the most out of your trap. 

It depends! Every environment is different. Sometimes it takes only hours, and sometimes it can take two weeks.

Our traps can take as little as a few hours or as long as a couple of weeks to start getting results. You can jump-start the process by placing a dead carpenter bee in the bottom of the trap. The bee will emit a pheromone that other carpenter bees are attracted to. Environmental factors can affect your trap as well. Make sure any existing carpenter bee nests are closed up. Carpenter bees are territorial, and if they have established a nest, they will be blind to the trap. Follow our steps to repair damage from carpenter bee nests here.

Empty out the carpenter bees, place the trap in a plastic bag and store it for next spring. Doing this will preserve the carpenter bee scent in the trap. Don’t wash out the trap. Be sure to store the trap indoors, away from the harsh conditions of winter. The trap is small and not indestructible. Natural elements will wear down the trap’s longevity.  

Troubleshoot your trap with these steps to ensure your trap is set up for success.

1. Is the trap aligned vertically? Do not hang or mount the trap at an angle.

2. Are there carpenter bee nests near the trap? Active carpenter bee nests will deter carpenter bees from entering the trap. Any existing nest needs to be plugged up before the trap can work.

3. Is the trap visible? If you can’t see the trap, neither can the carpenter bees.

4. Has the trap collected any carpenter bees yet? If not, try placing a dead carpenter bee in the bottom of the trap to jump-start the pheromone attractant. This will lure other carpenter bees to the trap.

5. Did you use any artificial bait or attractant? If so, remove it immediately. Our traps are designed to only work naturally with the dead carpenter bee pheromone. We do not endorse the use of other substances with our traps. Other substances may cause the traps to not work. For this reason, using artificial bait or attractant would void the our money-back-guarantee policy.

6. Be patient. If it’s only been a few days, give it some time. It can take a while for the trap to acclimate to and absorb the scents of your surrounding environment.

If you followed these steps and the traps still aren’t working, send us an email at customersupport@bestbeebrothers.com. We are happy to assess every situation and see if we can help with our expertise.

The trap should last for several seasons. It is impossible to say exactly how long because it depends on the weather and elements the trap is exposed to. Storing a trap in a shed or garage over the winter months will help preserve it.

Carpenter bees are territorial by nature. When they have started to build a nest, they are blind to anything else in their path. They are focused on building and protecting their new home. If the active nests are left open, the carpenters won’t care about the trap and will continue to build out their nest.  

We have an identification article here with pictures!

This can happen from time to time, and the wasp, a better flier than the carpenter bee, will eventually leave the trap—then there is nothing to worry about. Carpenter bees, on the other hand, are poorer fliers and will not be able to escape the trap. Also, they are are so drawn to the light in the receptacle that they won’t be able to find their way out.

Most people will only have to empty their traps at the end of the season. It is best to keep as many dead carpenter bees in the trap as possible during the season to increase the attractant power of the pheromone smell. But if your trap is full and no more carpenter bees can come down the funnel, then it is time to empty the trap. Make sure all the carpenter bees are dead before emptying the trap, and leave one or two in the receptacle for the next round.

Once carpenter bees enter the trap, they will not be able to fly out, and they die without access to food. It’s never pleasant to talk about or see death, but this is the truth of it. If you don’t like seeing the dead bees, we recommend our Pine Wood Carpenter Bee Box Trap. This trap collects the carpenter bees inside the body of the trap, out of sight.

Carpenter bees prefer to build their nests in soft, untreated wood. This type of wood is easier for the females to carve. Each trap's wooden base reflects this same preference. The Best Carpenter Bee Trap is made of a special soft wood composite, while the Pine Wood Carpenter Bee Box Trap is made exclusively of soft pinewood. Pinewood, in particular, is a favorite of the Southeastern carpenter bee species.

Yes, they are. We just ask that you email us at customersupport@bestbeebrothers.com or call us at 414-436-0142 first. Many times there are tips and tricks we can share with you that will resolve the issue. However, if those don’t work, we will refund 100% of your purchase.

In the accessories tab there are rubber grommets listed. We will sell these replacement parts until they run out. No more will be produced. We encourage everyone to purchase our new and improved design that eliminates the need for replacement parts.