They re only drilling through it.
Carpenter bees pressure treated wood. If your exposed wood has an exterior wood stain but is not sealed with polyurethane or some. When carpenter bee. Carpenter bees prefer to excavate untreated unfinished wood. I happened to have some old barn wood that wasn t good for anything else and it made for some nice rustic boxes.
Killing the bees is always not the smartest option out there. Also ensure that the wooden items around the property have a coat of paint or polish as treated lumber repels the bees away. Carpenter bees typically avoided stained or painted wood and still do though they may still attack it. Your best defense against carpenter bees is prevention by maintaining wooden surfaces all year long.
Pressure treated lumber is generally well protected against decay fungi and most insects that eat wood. Third if the wood is subject to a lot of moisture mold and fungus it will increase the odds of it becoming a nest site. To avoid bee damage to newly built wooden decks and porches people relied on pressure treated lumber containing cca chromated copper arsenate. Remove and replace damaged wood with pressure treated or chemically treated lumber 2.
The chemicals in cca prevented rot and insect damage. But remember carpenter bees aren t eating the wood. If your wood is covered with a thick coat of exterior wood paint you will probably not. You need 5 pieces of wood to build the box.
Maintain all painted surfaces making sure to pre fill nail holes and cracks with caulk 3. Any carpenter bee holes you can reach should be treated and plugged since existing holes. How to prevent and treat for carpenter bees carpenter bees. If an infestation has occurred you will need to use an insecticide to eliminate the carpenter bees.
I have a question will carpenter bees make a nest in pressure treated wood. Carpenter bees are big black solitary bees that look similar to bumble bees but have bare shiny backs. 18 ways to get rid of carpenter bees wood bees without killing them. You can use any wood you like for the box as long as it s unfinished and not pressure treated.
Second if the pavilion is left natural as in no stain or exterior finish this will no doubt increase the odds of it becoming a target because carpenter bees seem to target naturally decaying wood over all else. Carpenter bees don t like finished or pressure treated wood. Carpenter bees can do a lot of structural damage so this is really the least heavy handed approach you can take to prevent damage to your home shed deck etc. You can prevent carpenter bees from nesting in the first place by painting or varnishing your home s exterior.
How to protect wood from carpenter bees step 1.


