A carpenter bee trap having at least one entrance hole, at least one plenum section connecting the at least one entrance hole to at least one receptacle adapter coupling, and least one removable receptacle attached to at least one receptacle adapter coupling, the at least one removable receptacle made of a material that admits ambient light to a greater extent than the material forming the plenum such that insects entering the trap follow a path of increasing intensity of ambient light that leads them to the receptacle. Various embodiments employ one or more preferred carpenter bee habitat features including an overhanging roof protecting the entrance hole from the weather, an entrance hole that slopes upward from horizontal, entrance holes surrounded by wood, and an opaque material forming the plenum regions such that the interior in the vicinity of the entrance holes is relatively dark. Various alternatives are possible for example to enhance trap performance in various situations or to make the traps aesthetically pleasing to a variety of tastes. In one embodiment, existing carpenter bee nests are treated with a disclosed insecticide gel. The insecticide gel consists of a thixotropic, injectable, non-hardening, non-volatile gel blended with a pyrethroid insecticide. A small amount of gel injected into existing nests kills all bees and larvae in the nests as well as any bees that enter the nest during the residual life of the application, in effect converting the bee nest into a trap. The combination of installed traps and treatment of existing nests with the insecticide gel has proven to be highly effective in treating and preventing carpenter bee infestation in structures.
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