Carpenter bees might not be the worst pests you’ll find around your homestead, but they can be quite problematic all the same. They aren’t aggressive as a rule, but these big, chubby bees bore large holes in all kinds of wood surfaces.
At best, it makes them unsightly, but at worst, they can significantly weaken the wood over time and make it more vulnerable to rotting from the inside out or later invasions by serious pests like termites.
These bees are often persistent, which means if they’ve taken an interest in your shed, barn, porch, or house, you need to start trapping them.
The good news is you don’t need to resort to poisons to do it with this easy DIY trap. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you how to make it yourself with just a few minutes of work.
Tools and Materials
You need only basic materials and tools to make this yourself, and do so easily. Chances are you’ll have most of the supplies in your workshop, garage, or barn….
Tape Measure / Ruler: Grab a tape measure or ruler for making basic measurements and markings on the wood and other materials we’ll use to build the trap.
Drill: An electric drill makes this build a breeze, but it’s possible to use a manual drill if you’ve got the time and elbow grease.
Screwdriver/Electric Driver: A manual screwdriver or electric driver for driving your chosen screws. You can chuck in a screwdriver bit with your drill if you want to go that route, just be careful to avoid stripping the screws.
Drill Bits, 1” and ¾”: You’ll need two drill bits for this project, one large and one small. I’ve specified 1 inch and 3/4 inch here, but as long as they are very close to those sizes and proportions, you’ll be okay.
However, you don’t want to go too much smaller than 3/4 of an inch because if you make the holes too small, larger carpenter bees won’t be able to squeeze through them. This means they’ll simply bore their own hole somewhere else, in a post, railing, or even in wood siding!
4”x4” Post: Any common unpainted/unstained 4×4 wood post forms the basis of this trap. This must be plain wood to entice the bees to enter; they avoid painted surfaces, especially white-colored ones. Cheap, easy to work on, and easy to replace when it starts to wear out.
If you have a scrap piece of post that is in decent shape and between 7 and 10 inches long, now’s the time to use it. If you want to make multiple traps to protect your property, buy a whole post and then cut it into sections.
Saw: A hand saw, jigsaw, chop saw, or any other kind you have will work just fine for cutting your post to length.
Masking Tape/Painter’s Tape: A small strip of masking tape or painter’s tape will allow you to mark the correct depth on your drill bit during one of the steps.
Mason Jar, Pint, with Lid: For each trap that you want to build, you’ll need a pint-sized mason jar with the lid intact. If you have an old, cruddy jar that you’ve been using for holding scraps or screws, you can repurpose it for this.
Likewise, any jar that’s no longer usable for home canning is a good candidate as long as it isn’t broken or structurally questionable.
Wood Screws: Grab any screws you have lying around for attaching the lid of the jar to the wood post. I prefer to use pan head screws for a little extra strength and stability, but anything will work.
Threaded Loop or Hook: A threaded hook will let you easily hang and remove your trap as needed for emptying, maintenance, and so forth. I prefer using a closed loop for maximum security.
Workbench: A workbench or other secure, sturdy work surface makes all the difference when drilling holes in your post and doing any requisite cutting. It’s possible to hold it down and get it done, but this requires more strength and is more accident-prone.
Clamps: Likewise, having appropriately sized clamps for securing your workpiece to the work surface makes this job even quicker, easier, and safer. Not strictly necessary, but recommended.
Sturdy Wire or Cord: Garden wire or sturdy cordage will allow you to hang your carpenter bee trap when it’s finished. I like to use paracord since it is incredibly weather- and rot-resistant.
Pencil: Just a pencil, used for marking lines and center points.
Straight Edge: If you aren’t using a ruler, grab something else you can use as a straight edge for making markings on your workpiece.
And that’s all you need. I’ll walk you through the build in the following section.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This build is easy for anyone with even basic DIY skills, but still, you should read over all of the instructions before you get started so you know what to expect.
Step 1: Cut post to length. If you aren’t working with a scrap piece of post, or if you are making multiple traps, cut them to length. Each section of the post should be between 7 and 10 inches long.
Clamp down your workpiece if you can, make your marks where needed, and then cut. Take care to keep your cuts square.
Step 2: Mark one end of the post to find the center. Take your post section, and on one of the cut ends, use your straight edge to draw a line from each corner to the opposite corner with your pencil. Where they intersect, that’s your center point. Mark this center point with a bold dot.
Step 3: Tape drill bit; drill hole in the end of the post section. Starting from the point, measure back 5 inches on your larger drill bit. Wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit at this point to use as a rudimentary depth gauge.
Then stand your post section upright so you can see the markings on the end you made in the previous step.
Taking care to keep your drill square and plumb, drill a hole in the center on the marked point to a depth of 5 inches. Just to be clear, only do this on the one end you marked, not both ends.
Step 4 (optional): From the drilled end, mark the post at 2 ½” on each side. Now, measuring from the end you just drilled, make a line at two and a half inches on each side of the post. Make a dot in the middle of each line, roughly 1 1/4 inches measured from the edge.
Step 5: Drill two more angled holes in each side of the post. In the middle of each line (if you marked them), you want to drill an angled hole, roughly 45°, pointing towards the opposite end of the post.
Take care to keep these holes in line with the length of the post. You’ll have an easier time if you drill a shallow indentation perpendicular to the section before angling the drill and then completing the hole.
Repeat this procedure on each side of the post…
Step 6: Check to see if side holes intersect the main hole. You must make sure that each of the angled holes meets the central shaft you drilled previously.
Use your pencil, a dowel rod, or any other thin object that will fit in the angled holes and look through the central shaft to make sure that each of the holes reached the shaft.
Check each one, and if everything looks good, move on.
Step 7: Screw lid to the end of the post with a hole. Place the jar lid flat on the end of your post section where you drilled the larger central hole. To be clear, the lid should be in contact with the end of the post and flush.
You should easily be able to punch wood screws through the thin metal of the jar lid without much difficulty. Just take care to make sure the lid doesn’t shift as you screw it down.
Step 8: Drill hole in the center of the jar lid. Take your jar lid and flip it upside down on a piece of scrap wood or another sacrificial surface on your workbench. Drill a hole in the middle of the lid that’s aligned with the hole you drilled previously.
Make sure you have the hole in the lid aligned with the hole in the post, then use your screwdriver or electric driver to screw the lid to the post.
The two holes should look like this:
Step 9: Screw hook into the opposite end of the post. With the lid and band attached, go to the opposite end of the post section and screw in your threaded hook right in the center.
Close is good enough, but you can find and mark the center for this hole as you did before if desired.
Step 10: Screw jar into the band. Now, simply take your mason jar and screw it into the threads of the band, giving it a little tug to make sure it is secure:
Step 11: Hang trap near the targeted area. Take the trap to the area where you want to hang it, then use your wire or cordage with the loop you screwed in to adjust its height.
Step 12: Done! Your carpenter bee trap is now finished and installed. That’s all you need to do—no bait necessary.
Repeat these steps for as many traps as you need. If your property is swarming with bees, I highly recommend you hang up several to start depopulating them as quickly as possible. A swarm can maul wooden structures in a single season!
Empty the Jar When Half Full and Then Reattach
The best thing about this trap design is that it requires no poison, no bait, and no interaction from you. Carpenter bees will crawl in through the holes, head down into the jar via the central shaft, but once they get there, they won’t be able to figure out how to get back out.
Every day you’ll notice live bees and little bodies starting to accumulate. Once the jar gets about half full, go ahead and empty it to make room for new victims.
If you let the jar to get too full, the bees won’t be able to drop down into the jar properly, and then your trap will stop working.
Tom has lived and worked on farms and homesteads from the Carolinas to Kentucky and beyond. He is passionate about helping people prepare for tough times by embracing lifestyles of self-sufficiency.