Carpenter Bee Trap Design

Eliminate Carpenter Bees Without Harm to Others

Concerned about carpenter bees but want to ensure that garden allies like honey bees and bumbles keep pollinating? We designed our series of carpenter bee traps with features tailored to attract and capture only carpenter bees, leaving other pollinators unharmed. The trap’s specifically sized entrance holes in combination with the soft, untreated wood exterior naturally lure carpenter bees. No other bee will fall for the trap.

Every season the female carpenter bee scouts out a new location to build a nest. The task of drilling such a large tunnel is exhausting, she will spend several weeks searching for a location that is both secure and lightens her construction load. 

Our traps meet all the bee’s needs for a suitable place to build her nest. The ½” entrance holes are the same size as those that the carpenter bee would drill. The female would also look for soft wood that’s easy to drill through, and the soft composite wood of our Carpenter Bee Traps are just right. The plastic overhang on the trap (made of ocean-bound plastic) creates a protective shelter a carpenter bee instinctively wants for its home.

Another big attractant is the smell of dead carpenter bees. Once that first carpenter dies in the trap, it releases a potent pheromone that lures other carpenter bees. The bottom of the trap has aeration holes that spread the strong pheromone smell to the surrounding environment. No other trap has this unique feature! Best of all, our trap is easy to empty and reusable.

On rare occasions a wasp or hornet may find its way into the trap. Wasps can enter the trap looking for a sheltered home, and will easily travel in and out of the hole due to their smaller size and superior flying abilities. If you do get a wasp or hornet, ideally, you want to remove it immediately.

To rid your trap of the wasp or hornet, place the entire trap with its unwanted guest in a plastic bag. Once the trap is securely inside, place it in your freezer for 24 hours. The wasp or hornet, or any other unintended visitor, will freeze. Scrape out the intruder and hang the trap back up.

It’s best not to wash the trap out or spray it with any pesticide. Washing it will eliminate the built-up carpenter bee pheromone that does such a great job of naturally attracting other carpenter bees. And if you do use a pesticide, you will need to throw the trap away and replace it, as the smell of pesticides or other chemicals deters carpenter bees, forcing them to look for other places around your home to make their nest.

As always, make sure you email us with your questions at customersupport@bestbeebrothers.com. We are here to help and love hearing from all our customers!