Carpenter bees frequently become a problem for householders. These insects make large tiny tunnels in dry wood slightly weakening it. After a couple of years of constant digging, damage for wood doors, walls, ceiling and furnishing may be significant.
However, carpenter bees hardly ever attack people – only the female bees have stings. Nevertheless, the “how to get rid of carpenter bees WD40” question is getting more and more popular: lubricants like WD40 are an affordable and pretty effective solution for the problem of carpenter bees.
Coping with Carpenter Bees
Even despite the fact that carpenter bees are pretty friendly for people and are very useful for the local ecosystem, these insects hardly spoil wood parts of the house. Using a WD is a good way to get rid of the carpenter bees.
What is WD40?
WD is a lubricant that has been manufactured by a self-titled company for over 60 years. It’s widely used among automobile workshop users for getting rid of rust. However, WD-40 doesn’t provide a long-term effect.
So, what is the main purpose of WD-40? While working with screws, nuts, joints and other fastenings a rust may become a big problem – it blocks movements of the detail making it impossible to operate.
WD-40 call is to dissolve rust as fast as possible to allow specialists to work with old parts of the auto with ease. Obviously, WD-40 is used not only in the auto repairing sphere and is frequently in home toolboxes of regular American people.
Can it kill carpenter bees and why?
Does WD40 kill carpenter bees? Yes, it does. Moreover, WD-40 can kill nearly all bees’ types, but we don’t recommend doing it – try out other, more friendly, methods before applying extreme ones.
Chemical composition of the solution is half consist of “White-Spirit”. This is a popular petroleum-derived degreaser and solvent used in many spheres including building, painting etc. Toxic petrol vapors make bees drop dead.
It’s not safe to use a clear petrol for getting rid of bees because of its flammability and toxicity. That is the reason why some professionals prefer to use WD40 for carpenter bees rebellion.
How to get rid of carpenter bees using WD40?
It’s much easier and less dangerous to get rid of carpenter bees than from regular bees or wasps. We present the list of steps that you should follow to successfully destroy the nest.
- First of all, choose the right time for the action and prepare for it. Be ready for the operation in early morning or late at night, when the largest number of carpenter bees is in the nest and they are less active.
- Despite the fact that the majority of carpenter bees are not a danger for the people, bees will try to attack and scare you, so an anti-bee protection costume is recommended. If you don’t have one, wear thick clothes that cover all your body.
- Find all entrances to the nest. The entrance to the tunnel system is easily recognizable – a long yellow stain is an unmistakable sign. In some cases, carpenter bees’ nests may have up to 5-10 entrances.
- Take a WB40 spray gun and put a spray stick as deep as you can into the hole. Spay the lubricant in small doses. Repeat for each entrance.
- If the tunnel system is big enough, most likely a large amount of bees will survive, so repeat a procedure every day until all bees are gone.
- Sometimes petroleum-derived chemicals like WD40 or White-Spirit don’t destroy the whole nest. In that case “hard artillery” is applied. Pesticide is what kills carpenter bees on contact and is a 100% solution for these cases. But remember that such kinds of chemicals are extremely toxic, so don’t forget about safety measures.
- After all bees are killed you have to make sure that carpenter bees won’t settle down in the same place again. Seal all the nest entrances with plaster or polyurethane foam.
- To prevent the appearance of carpenter bees in future, treat the wood in your house with anti-insect solutions. Also, carpenter bees don’t like painted wood and places where Melissa, lemon balm, basil etc. grow.
WD40 and carpenter bees are two incompatible things, so following these steps should help you to rebel bees and prevent them in future. However, if you are not sure in your abilities, it’s always better to leave such work to professionals.
FAQ
Some frequently asked questions about the topic of how to kill wood bees or prevent them.
What is the best way to get rid of carpenter bees?
The most effective and fast method is to use pesticides or lubricants. However, it’s better not to kill bees and try planting unpleasant herbs for bees like basil or lemon balm.
Also, carpenters don’t like loud music and vibrations, so you may try to make bees leave by setting up working speakers in front of the nest.
What smells do carpenter bees hate?
All bees don’t like the smells of lemon balm, mint, basil, Melissa, sagebrush, lavender. Smoke and chemical vapors also drive away carpenter bees.
What attracts carpenter bees?
Bees serve as effective pollinators for plants, so carpenter bees are highly attracted by flowers, sweet smells and bright colors. These bees make their nests in untreated wood, so painted materials are unpleasant for them.
So, Will WD40 Kill Carpenter Bees?
Using WD40 is an effective and affordable method. Because of its petrol-derived basis WD40 is a lethal solution for all kinds of bees. Follow the guide to successfully get rid of carpenter bees for good. In some cases, when the nest is already very large, toxic pesticides are used.
Have you ever had wood bees in your house? How did you handle it? Share your story in the comments below.
Also read:
- How to Get Rid of Bees
- Best Carpenter Bee Trap
- Best Bee Killer Spray
- Bumble Bee vs Carpenter Bee
- How Do Carpenter Bee Traps Work
- Carpenter Bee Trap Bait
- How to Keep Bees Away
References
- Pesticide Safety Tips (United State Environmental Protection Agency) https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-incidents/pesticide-safety-tips#:~:text=Use%20protective%20measures%20when%20handling,hands%20immediately%20after%20applying%20pesticides.
- Safety Data Sheet (California CARB Compliant)
https://files.wd40.com/pdf/sds/mup/wd-40-multi-use-product-aerosol-low-voc-sds-us-ghs.pdf
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