You might want to look for an alternative method now that little Caleb lives there too.

I don't know what they sprayed on your house but I'll bet the fumes and residue aren't good for infants or even adults.

Just an idea for you to consider.

Yeah, pesticides don't sound like a good idea for your situation.

I have read that carpenter bees are easily discouraged by a coat of paint. Maybe it doesn't taste too good .

Probably I would be most inclined to find out what birds eat those insects. Then put up houses for them.

carpenter bees bore into the wood, so you have to soak it. what i do is spray the entire exterior of the house with Malathion once every month or 2. NO ONE should be outside until this dries. whoever sprays it should wear both a mask and goggles, and should wash off immediately afterwards. if you spray the bushs/shrubs/trees as well, it also keeps the mosquitos down.

read an follow the directions, you do not have to mix more than recommended. i use about 3 tablespoons per gallon, mixed in a 15 gallon tank with an electric pump to spray. yo can do it with a hand pump if you desire. any hole the bees bored into, you should spray directly in.

recurring cost this way--- about 10 bucks a spraying.

I had carpenter bees for several years. All were killed when my house was tented but they came back.

Last year, I bought a product (powder) on the net and a bellows type injector. It worked perfectly.

If you need help finding such a thing, leave a post. I found it originally through a Google search. Also, I think there are some postings on this site about Carpenter Bees and my old postings may be there.

Wasps are different and the only method I remember was to shoot the nests with a garden hose and then run like mad. I was much younger now and could outrun them but am not sure if I could still do that. It does work though.

The best thing i've found for taking out wasp nests is the cheapest starting fluid that Wal-Mart sells. $1.14 a can here. I wait until late evening or early am to spray the nest. They drop like a rock and don't fly off. Works to spray the holes carpenter bees are in to. If they are hovering i use a Badminton racket to swat them with. Getting pretty good with my back hand.

I second the Badminton racket, killed many, my kids get involved and we can kill 20 in a evening. We definitely thinned them down, still a few each spring, but we get after them. Only the female wood bee stings, she has the black face, males have a yellow spot on their face which looks like a dot.The males are unarmed, no stinger. We leave the rackets on the deck all spring and summer. REJ2.

I have a very rustic house, rough cut pine boards for siding. I love to barbeque and drink a few IPA's. My wife will not even come out on the deck if there are wasps flying around. Maybe I should paint the entire side of the house and eliminate access to under board nest sites- calk etc. What do you guys think? Paul

Borax mixed with water.
Borax is safe and when mixed with water and sprayed on dry wood it soaks in and repels just about every bug known to man.

Hippy; haven't heard from you in a long time. Hope things are well. How long does a spraying last and what instument do you use to apply the Borax. Lastly, what is the ratio of Borax to water?
Thanks
Paul

" carpenter bees" Reminds me of what happened to my wife last spring. She was on the phone and she heard a knock on door. She said hold on theres someone at the door.She went and checked, no one there. back on the phone,again,knock,knock,knock,knock.Hang on,checked nobody. let me call you back. She opened the door about one inch and watched. In a minute the biggest woodpecker, she had ever seen, came under the carport and started pecking the carpenter bee's entrance holes.That was the knock.What I do now is apply clear silicon in all the holes I see.Now I very seldom see a bee, but when I do,I WATCH WHERE HE CALLS HOME AND THE REST YOU ALREADY KNOW, WASP I WAIT TIL DARK,SPRAYUM WITH WASP & HORNET, AND HAUL HINDPARTS.

Yeah, that wasp and hornet spray is pretty good stuff, but they always keep a sentry or two outside the hole or hive, so you really have to be stealthy and fleet-footed, not to mention getting the spray in the right place while hanging in the danger zone until the last second. :)

I ran a lawnmower over a ground hive while trying to clear some brush a few years back, and buddy, the came up and at me from all different directions. I got hit around 8-12 times before I could run inside the house...and they were still hitting the front door after it closed trying to get at me. Mean little SOB's.

I wonder if there is a wasp bomb spray you csn turn upside down in the hole and set it off? Surely there ought to be something like that now.

jimtnc, there is a VERY effective spray for getting rid of ground bees and yellow jackets. it is called a pint of gasoline. pour it in teh hole, then throw a match at it! works every time. the BEST tiime to do this is after dark, they will not fly at night, IF it is dark. you cannot light up the whole area, just use a flashlight.

Thanks davidandkasie. I've almost tried that several times, but I'm a little more concerned of burning down the neighborhood, not to mention my house.

My luck, I'll hit a friggin' gas line and there it goes..............

i know the feeling. if it weren't for bad luck i'd have no luck a'tal