I was thinking about covering the rails of my deck with a composite. Will this deter carpenter bees?
I’m not aware of any kind of exterior siding or decking designed to deter carpenter bees but do know that something like Trex, which is all plastic, will be. The composite we know has wood and we’ve had many customers call to let us know they had boring bees chewing through it. Apparently it’s not enough synthetic to stop them. Now we are sure Trex would be avoided so get that if are going to make a change.
In summary, I would advise against the change to composite if the main goal is to repel carpenter bees. Especially since its so easy to stop them by spraying with XEMPT EC once a twice in the spring.
Cost wise the XEMPT EC is a lot less compared to a new Trex deck and even if you did install Trex, it would still be smart to be spraying every now and then with xempt EC to prevent all pests.
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JoAnn says
Thank you for helpful information on Carpenter Bees. We have them! We are now in the process of getting estimates to repair/replace our wrap around Victorian style porch. It’s 40 plus years old. Cost is a factor. PT lumber with annual Cypermethrin spraying maybe the way to go.
Tech Support says
JoAnn,
Actually, using PT wood is quite costly and if you’re able to get 30+ years when using regular lumber, I suggest you use it again. I say this because I have been able to keep my decks insect free by treating with Cypermethrin 2-3 times a season which is a lot less costly compared to using PT lumber. Usually one treatment in the spring, one mid summer and one in the fall will keep it bug free.
Cypermethrin: https://bugspray.com/catalog/insecticide/liquid/viper-cypermethrin
And when I paint the deck, I add some NBS Paint Additive which lasts about a year so for the year following the paint job, I don’t even have to spray once. Again, way less costly compared to using PT lumber.
NBS Repellent: https://bugspray.com/exempt/additive/nbs-paint-additive-16-oz
Cheers,
Jonathan
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