8 Safe Methods To Get Rid Of Blackjack Bees

Blackjack bees more specifically black carpenter bees can damage wooden material. If you are dealing with such problem, it’s your concern now how to get rid of blackjack bees. You may be afraid and don’t know whether blackjack bees sting or not.

Finding the easiest but safest methods to get rid of black carpenter bees is not easy. That’s why you are in this blog post.

In this article, I will share 8 ways to get rid of blackjack bees without killing them. These are safe methods because you are getting rid of blackjack bees without killing them.

Key Features:

What Is Blackjack Bees?

Actually, the black carpenter bees are known as blackjack bees as they have black bodies and legs. They only have a yellow mark on their abdomen in most cases.

Blackjack bees or carpenter bees usually live inside the wood. They don’t live in a colony.

Female carpenter bees dig into wooden material to create their nest. Then it starts creating new wholes inside the wood and starts laying eggs. She raises her brood inside the wood holes.

When the broods become mature, they emerge and create a new nest to start their own family.

Do Blackjack Bees Sting?

Male blackjacks can’t sting as they don’t have any stingers. However, female blackjacks have a stinger, but they rarely use it.

Do Blackjack Bee Sting?

Usually, blackjacks can’t sting. But they have a sting in their cavity within the last abdominal segment.

So, when you try to squeeze them using your hand or other body parts, their stinger will be injected into your body part.

Also, female blackjack will rarely sting in some cases. Their aggressiveness depends on the region they live in and the intensity of the threat they are facing.

How To Get Rid Of BlackJack Bees

Blackjack bees possess less aggressiveness. However, they can damage household wooden materials. So you might asking how to get rid of blackjack bees?

First of all, you have to identify the nest of the blackjack bees. You can easily identify a blackjack bee nest by noticing wood shavings around a small hole having a diameter of around 1 cm. Because blackjack bees chew through wood to create their nest.

8 Ways to Get rid of blackjack bees — 8 Ways to Get rid of Blackjack Bees Safely

After identifying the blackjacks, it’s our task to remove them. But they are excellent pollinators. Thus, we shouldn’t kill them.

Here are 6 ways to get rid of blackjack bees without killing them. Let’s discuss them one by one.

1) Using A BlackJack Bee Trap

The easiest way to get rid of blackjack bees is using a blackjack bee trap. All you have to do is just place the blackjack bee trap inside your household near wooden furniture.

You will find blackjack bee traps, also known as carpenter bee traps, on various online stores. You can purchase one of them, or you can even make one by yourself using some wood and a plastic box.

2) Using Bleach

Bleach can effectively help you to get rid of all kinds of ground bees. Using bleach can be an effective option for you to remove blackjacks.

Mix bleach with water in a 1:2 ratio.

Then spray it over the entrance of blackjack bees nest.

Most people often use clorox to get rid of carpenter bees. But don’t soak bees on any kind of bleaching agents.

If you can soak blackjacks with bleach water, it will kill them, which is not preferred. Spreading the spray around the entrance will force them to leave the wood. They also won’t return again to the same place.

3) Use A Plastic Bottle Or Glass Container

Getting rid of blackjacks (black carpenter bees) permanently can take some time, but this method is one of the most cost-effective and natural solutions available. Just follow the steps below:

Find a plastic bottle — any clean, empty bottle will do.
Locate wooden holes where blackjacks are nesting or active.

Place the bottle opening over the hole, sealing it tightly to prevent airflow.
Wait patiently — if the bees are inside, they’ll eventually emerge due to the lack of oxygen and fly directly into the bottle.

Make sure the hole is completely sealed around the bottle’s opening. Blocking airflow encourages the bees to exit in search of oxygen, guiding them straight into your trap.

4) Paint Wooden Materials

Carpenter bees don’t like colored paint and patterns. They are mostly repelled by black and red color.

So, draw patterns on your wooden materials using black or red colors. This will keep blackjack bees away from your house. Also, if there are already blackjack bees inside wooden materials, they will run away soon.

5) Use Vinegar

Using Vinegar and water in 1/1 will effectively help you to cure blackjacks inside woods. The smell of vinegar is totally disliked by carpenter bees. That’s why spraying a vinegar and water mixture will help you to keep them away.

You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, or even both, with water. If you soak blackjacks with this mixture, they will die. That’s why I suggest you use a light concentration of vinegar and spray it around the blackjack bee nest.

6) Use Wood Preservatives To Prevent Blackjack bees

Using wood preservatives can help you to keep blackjack away from damaging your wooden furniture. It may fail to kill blackjacks if they have already created a deep hole inside the wood.

But it is a great way to reluctance against blackjack in the woods. It will strengthen the wood quality of your furniture as well.

7) Essential Oils

Essential oils are also effective carpenter bee repellent. Essential oils like citrus, tea tree, peppermint, lavender, and especially eucalyptus have strong scents that carpenter bees dislike. These oils interfere with the bees’ scent-tracking abilities and make treated areas less appealing for nesting.

However, the effect is usually temporary and requires regular reapplication. So, essential oils work best as a preventative method or when combined with other strategies like sealing holes or using bee traps.

Here is how to use essential oils to get rid of blackjack bees.

Mix 10–15 drops of essential oil with 1 cup of water and a few drops of dish soap (helps the mixture stick).
Pour into a spray bottle.
Focus on wooden surfaces, holes, eaves, and areas where bees have been active.

Reapply every few days or after rain.

Don’t spray directly on bees to avoid harming them. Essential oil sprays are safe for pets and children when used properly, but always test in a small area first.

8) Provide Nesting Sites

This is actually a preventative method rather than a cure. Providing a nesting site will prevent carpenter bees from creating their nest inside households.

You can provide one or more suitable nesting sites for these pollinators. Here are some useful ways:

Keep your old untreated furniture in your garden.
Keep some rocks in your garden.
Plant some trees that are attractive to pollinators.

Place a water source and keep a high mound in your garden.

All types of carpenter bees, including blackjack bees, preferred such nesting sites. This will effectively help you keep blackjack bees away while preserving them.

Final Words

Hopefully, these 8 ways will effectively help you to get rid of blackjack bees. Blackjack bees may be a nuisance when they start nesting in your wooden furniture, but they play an important role in pollination and the ecosystem.

That’s why it’s best to use safe, non-lethal methods to guide them away from your home. The strategies shared above offer effective, affordable ways to protect your wood while respecting these helpful insects.

For long-term prevention, consider using treated wood, regular maintenance, and even offering alternative nesting sites outdoors. With patience and the right approach, you can keep blackjack bees at bay without causing them harm.