Introduction: Carpenter Bee Trap, Large Version
These traps catch carpenter bees that want to attack my wooden house. The first photo shows the assembled trap, the second shows the trap in place with a bee in the capture jar. To see my related Instructables, click on my username wherever you see it on this page, or enter unclesam in the home page search box. On the new page, click "view all __ instructables." On the next new page, click "NEXT" repeatedly to page and scroll through them all.
My design is based on that of kentdvm https://www.instructables.com/id/Making-Carpenter-Bee-Traps/, see his project for construction tips. His trap is hung like a lantern and has an overhanging roof. Mine needed to be attached directly to the wooden overhang of my house, high above the ground, so it did not need its own roof, but it did need to be emptied by someone standing on the ground far below. I did not have weathered wood for making the trap, so I used ordinary lumber, on the theory that the bee is lured not by the trap's wood so much as by the pre-made holes. My design for a smaller trap will appear as its own Instructable as soon as it proves it will catch bees.
Any carpenter bee trap will be more effective if the bee-made holes in the protected structure are plugged. I use a color-matching outdoor caulk.
My design is based on that of kentdvm https://www.instructables.com/id/Making-Carpenter-Bee-Traps/, see his project for construction tips. His trap is hung like a lantern and has an overhanging roof. Mine needed to be attached directly to the wooden overhang of my house, high above the ground, so it did not need its own roof, but it did need to be emptied by someone standing on the ground far below. I did not have weathered wood for making the trap, so I used ordinary lumber, on the theory that the bee is lured not by the trap's wood so much as by the pre-made holes. My design for a smaller trap will appear as its own Instructable as soon as it proves it will catch bees.
Any carpenter bee trap will be more effective if the bee-made holes in the protected structure are plugged. I use a color-matching outdoor caulk.
Step 1: Plastic Parts From the Grocery Store
The capture jar is a Ziploc Medium Round Twist 'n Loc plastic container, marked 32 fl oz, 946 ml, and its lid. The jar is unique in that it has some flats molded into its sides, which allows it to be unscrewed from below by a tool made from a second identical jar.
The clear plastic funnel is cut from a Dasani brand drinking water bottle, chosen because it has a unique pinched waist ("rest mark") that secures the funnel in the trap.
The clear plastic funnel is cut from a Dasani brand drinking water bottle, chosen because it has a unique pinched waist ("rest mark") that secures the funnel in the trap.
Step 2: Make the Funnel
Cut the funnel off the bottle at the place shown in this photo, just beyond where the pinched waist rolls over to become part of the long cylinder of the remainder of the bottle. I carefully cut overlong with a band saw, trimmed with scissors, then sanded off the burrs. I also cut off the threaded part of the small cap end of the funnel, for fear that it would be close enough to the bottom of the capture jar that a bee might be able to reach up to it and get out. This is probably unnecessary unless the bee has had some formal acrobatic training.
Step 3: Modify the Capture Jar and Its Lid
Drill four weep holes in the bottom of the capture jar 3/32-inch dia, clean off burrs.
It is necessary to mark the lid completely before cutting out the center hole. Scribe a circle 1 and 5/8-inch radius on the inside of the lid, centered on the pip molded into the center of the lid. Mark for four equally spaced holes on this circle. Scribe another circle, also centered on the pip, 1 and 7/16-inch radius. Drill the four screw holes 3/16-inch dia, and match mark one of the holes. Cut out the center of the lid on the smaller scribed circle using small scissors. A pair of curved-blade fingernail scissors works great.
It is necessary to mark the lid completely before cutting out the center hole. Scribe a circle 1 and 5/8-inch radius on the inside of the lid, centered on the pip molded into the center of the lid. Mark for four equally spaced holes on this circle. Scribe another circle, also centered on the pip, 1 and 7/16-inch radius. Drill the four screw holes 3/16-inch dia, and match mark one of the holes. Cut out the center of the lid on the smaller scribed circle using small scissors. A pair of curved-blade fingernail scissors works great.
Step 4: The Wooden Frame
I wanted my traps to tuck under the overhang of my roof and not look too unsightly. I intend to leave these traps in place year round because they are so high up. I also wanted the wood to be thick enough to make up-angled holes through the bottom rim of the trap as well as into its sides. This view is of the lower edge of the trap that faces down toward the ground. The holes in the bottom rim are placed close to the outer edge to leave room for the plywood bottom cover.
I cut four pieces 6-inches long from a 3 X 2 "stud" (actual measure 2 and 1/2-inch wide by 1 and 1/2-inch thick). I used a drill press and a spade bit to make the 1/2-inch diameter up-angled holes in the wood pieces, then I assembled them in a rotary fashion using only Titebond II waterproof wood glue.
The second photo shows a frame that has a lot of holes, only in its lower rim, to lure the bees, all drilling done at right angles. Construction is simpler, but it is not clear whether the bees will go for these kinds of holes versus the angled holes into the sides of the frame.
I cut four pieces 6-inches long from a 3 X 2 "stud" (actual measure 2 and 1/2-inch wide by 1 and 1/2-inch thick). I used a drill press and a spade bit to make the 1/2-inch diameter up-angled holes in the wood pieces, then I assembled them in a rotary fashion using only Titebond II waterproof wood glue.
The second photo shows a frame that has a lot of holes, only in its lower rim, to lure the bees, all drilling done at right angles. Construction is simpler, but it is not clear whether the bees will go for these kinds of holes versus the angled holes into the sides of the frame.
Step 5: Bottom Plate
The bottom plate is a 6-inch square of marine plywood scrap that is a little less than 1/4-inch thick. Lines drawn between opposite corners help lay out the drill holes. The wood plate is clamped to the wooden frame, and both are given match marks. A 5/32-inch dia hole is drilled through the plate and into the frame at each corner to make pilot holes for 1-inch long drywall screws. The plate is unclamped from the frame, and its corner holes countersunk for the drywall screws. The jar lid is placed onto the plate, and its screw holes are marked on the plate. A match mark is made on the plate near the marked screw hole in the lid, then pilot holes 1/8-inch dia are drilled through the plate. Four 3/32-inch dia weep holes are drilled through the plate, located such that neither the wooden frame nor the jar lid will block them. Mark and cut out the center hole of the plate 1 and 3/16-inch radius, sand smooth.
Step 6: Assemble the Bottom Plate
Crinkle the large open end of the funnel and push it through the center hole of the plate, making sure the funnel's small opening is on the same side of the plate as the plate's match marks. Uncrinkle the funnel into its original shape. Place the jar lid onto the plate with the match marks aligned, and attach it using four short round-head sheet metal screws.
Step 7: Attach the Bottom Plate to the Frame
Match the marks and attach the plate to the frame using four 1-inch long drywall screws.
Step 8: The Top Plate
The top is thin aluminum flashing 7 and 1/4-inches square, its corners rounded off slightly. Attach the top to the frame using bathtub sealant or outdoor silicon caulk, clamp it in place with weights until the sealant sets. This photo shows two of the four slots made for pocket screws I used to attach the trap to the underside of the roof overhang. The aluminum plate is backed up with a piece of wood when the pocket holes are drilled through it.
Step 9: Remote Jar Removal Tool
This tool, when attached to a tube of many stacked plastic shop vac pipes, allows me to reach up to unscrew the capture jar to empty it, then screw it back on, a quarter turn does it. A block of wood 2 and 1/2-inch square by 1 and 1/2-inch thick is drilled through to fit over a length of plastic shop vac pipe, then cross-drilled for a bolt and nut. A Twist Loc container is attached to the block using round head sheet metal screws. Washers are placed onto the screws between the block and the jar's bottom and inside between the jar and the screw heads.
Unclesam
Unclesam
