Hammer the staple into place in the middle of the angled portion of the block. Center a staple on the block, then thread the chain through it. On the angled portion of the wood block (where there are no holes), add a metal chain so that your new trap can be hung up.
Step 7: Add the metal chain to the wooden base. Nail the lid into place with short nails with heads, ensuring that the holes stay aligned.
Place your newly cut lid over the hole of the block’s base, lining up the hole in the lid and the hole in the base. Step 6: Add mason jar lid to wooden base. Be careful when doing this, as the metal is sharp.Ĭombine the lid with the metal ring that screws the lid onto the jar. Then, using a snips cutting tool, widen the circle to the same size as the wooden base hole. Hold a screwdriver at a slight angle, then hammer this into the lid. This should be the same size as the hole you’ve drilled into the wooden base. You will be cutting a hole into this.įirst, draw a hole in the center of the lid. Take the lid of the mason jar, and separate the flat round metal portion from the ring that screws the lid onto the jar. (One side of your block will not have a hole.)Ĭlean out any wood shavings from your newly-drilled holes. Drill these on 3 sides of the block, with one hole on each of the 3 sides. You’ll feel it when you’ve hit the center hole. On the side of the block, drill up at a 45 degree angle, with the aim to meet that center hole that you’ve already drilled into the block. Switch to ½ inch paddle bit on drill-this is about the size of the hole that carpenter bees drill themselves. (The bottom of the block is opposite the angled in.) The hole should NOT go all the way through the block, but stop about mid-way through it. Using a ¾ inch paddle bit on your screwdriver, drill a hole into bottom of the block. Make sure that each side is at least 4 inches thick.) Step 3: Drill base hole. (Note: we have seen some people make their carpenter bee traps without an angled top instead, the wooden portion of the trap is simply a square block. This allows for enough room to drill holes into the block. The other sides of the block should be at least 4 inches thick. Using a saw (can be electric or hand saw), cut one side of your wood block at a 45 degree angle. We use scrap wood for our carpenter bee traps. Drill with a ¾ inch paddle bit and ½ inch paddle bitĬarpenter Bee Trap Instructions: Step 1: Let’s begin.īegin with a piece of 4 x 4 inch lumber.If you prefer visual instruction, check out our Youtube video.
#YOUTUBE BEEZ IN THE TRAP HOW TO#
Keep reading to learn how to make your own homemade carpenter bee trap. These traps are inexpensive to make and can be created in 10 minutes or less. The bees on the outside can sense the other bees within the trap, so they are attracted to it. When emptying the jar, leave a few bees in there to help attract more. Once the jar is full, then you can empty it. However, it’s just a ruse: once they reach the source of the light (the mason jar), they are then trapped within the jar and unable to escape.
When a carpenter bee enters one of the side holes of the wooden trap, they are drawn toward the light in the center hole in search of the exit. The damage can wreak havoc on your homestead.īut before you turn to chemical-based insect killing sprays, there is a natural way to eradicate your carpenter bee problem: homemade carpenter bee traps. Carpenter Bees are industrious insects and can drill hundreds of holes in the wood on your home and barn in search of a place to lay their eggs.