5 Best Carpenter Bee Traps

There are three types of carpenter bee traps. These types of traps work very differently from each other. We’re going to take a look at each one of the types.

Simple Carpenter Bee Trap

Simple Carpenter bee traps attract carpenter bees because it mimics their nest. Once inside, they get trapped. These Simple traps mainly have two components:

1. The box or lock
2. The jar. 

The box component, usually made of wood, has holes drilled inside diagonal angles.  The upward diagonal angle confuses the bees and gets them lost inside. The only light source or escape route they see is the one hole leading to the jar. Using the bait that lures bees into the trap increases its effectiveness.

Once inside the jar, they can’t get out and will die there. However, once you catch a few bees, there’s a chance you will catch many more soon. This is because the carpenter bees in the jar, dead or alive, will release pheromones that attract other carpenter bees. 

There’s a plastic version of this carpenter bee trap that works differently. It leads the bees towards what we call a” bait puddle,” which is a mixture of sweet liquids. The liquids could be honey and sugar water or proteins like bacon (for wasps and yellowjackets). The puddle attracts the bees and soaks them, which prevents them from flying out.

Adhesive Trap

Adhesive traps use fluorescent colors or patterns to draw carpenter bees. Once you draw in a few bees, it will attract many more through the release of pheromones of the trapped bees.

 There are three big drawbacks when using this trap:

• First, you can accidentally catch birds and other beneficial insects, making it less effective.
• It needs replacement after it’s full.
• Adhesive becomes less effective over time.

Light-Based Trap

Light-based traps attract bees through UV lights. These traps were made to trap carpenter bee species, yellow jackets, and wasps. The insects mistake the trap’s UV light as a signal for food.

These traps are similar to common carpenter bee traps in design. The difference is that its structure is transparent so that the bees can see the UV light. 

The interior was designed to make it unlikely for the bees to get out once inside. You can also add bait like sweets and meat (for wasps and yellowjackets).

Carpenter bees aren’t active at night when the UV light is at its most effective. So to be effective during the day, you need to place this in an area where it shines bright during the day. This is only possible if their nest is located in that area.

The main way to attract carpenter bees to your trap is using bait. Though there are other factors that help in luring carpenter bees to your trap.

Here are art tips on how to attract bees to your carpenter bee trap:

• Cover up the holes from the carpenter bee nest. Anything works, but putty, caulking compounds, and corks do the job well. 
• Use sweet baits like sugar water, vinegar, and beer if possible.
• Place the traps near the bee nests where bees can see.
• Use dead carpenter bees as bait. Their pheromones will attract other carpenter bees
• Do not paint or stain the traps. Keep it looking as natural as possible.
• Place traps in spring where the bees are likely to go out.

Always wear protective gear when getting close to carpenter bees.

1. Durability and Duration of use

If you’re looking for the long-term, the best products are Simple Carpenter Bee Traps made of wood or plastic. They’re usually designed to last longer and are easily available.

For a short-term solution, use adhesive traps and pair them with bait. 

The light-based trap might not be effective in the long term as the Simple Carpenter bee trap, but it lasts longer than adhesive traps before the light bulb goes out.

2. Simplicity

The Simple Carpenter Bee Trap is the easiest trap to operate and takes the least time. The only maintenance you need to do is occasionally throw away the accumulated bees inside.

3. Speed of Results

Both the adhesive and the light-based trap work best for the fastest results, especially when paired with good baits. Best not used when there are beneficial insects nearby, like a honey bee.

You can also make your own carpenter bee trap if you have time and don’t intend on buying one. Here is a popular instructional video on creating your own wooden homemade carpenter bee trap.

When making your traps make sure it has these components:

• Wooden Block with holes drilled at a diagonal angle
• Glass jar to hold the bees 
• Sweet baits like sugar water or honey. Dead carpenter bees also make good baits because they attract other carpenter bees. Baits are optional but significantly increase the chance of success.

Do carpenter bee traps really work?

Yes, they do work. As long as you follow instructions and do the ways to attract bees to your trap. Use the carpenter bee trap best for your situation.

Where should I put my carpenter bee trap?

Ideally, the carpenter bee traps should be put at a corner outside where the sun can reach it but the rain can’t.  Best placed before a bee infestation happens. If there’s an infestation already, it’s recommended to close up the holes first.

Carpenter bee traps are definitely worth it. Commercially-available carpenter bee traps are a good and quick solution. You can make one yourself, but it isn’t easy and takes time.

The best overall carpenter bee trap we recommend you to get is the Best Bee Brothers carpenter bee trap. What sets them apart from other products are:

• the reliability of wooden carpenter bee traps, 
• their years of experience,
• their many videos on how to use their products and bee control tips
• specialized in trapping carpenter bees.

This trap is specially designed for carpenter bees. Unlike other products, it’s unlikely to catch other beneficial insects by accident. Claims of the product not working are very few. It’s highly effective most of the time. They have possible solutions if the trap isn’t working as it should.

Honorable mention is the Stingmon Solar Powered Wasp Killer – Reusable because it’s solar-powered. It’s worth a try if you want something different.