How can we get rid of "carpenter bees"?

We live on Long Island, NY in a house on about a 1/2 acre of land (lots of trees behind our house). We have noticed that there are a dozen or more very large insects that are parked and swarming around a wooden trestle that hangs over a patio behind our house. They are annoying and make it uncomfortable for us to sit outside on our patio. Our neighbors have told us that they are %26quot;carpenter bees%26quot;. One of our neighbors (they have the same problem) went to Home Depot to try and buy some sort of extermination solution...but came back empty-handed. He was told that he would need a professional exterminator to get rid of these bees. My question is....what are these things and is there a way that we can quickly and easily get rid of them ourselves, without calling in an exterminator?
Dear dottom, Carpenter bees are large %26#147;bee-like%26#148; insects that resemble the bumble be as they have similar body structure and coloring. However, unlike their bee relatives, carpenter bees are generally not aggressive. Only the female carpenter bee is capable of stinging, and will only do so when provoked. These creatures like sylvan environments, as they like to burrow tunnels inside wood to set up nest. The following excerpt from %26#147;The Bug Clinic%26#148; explains the nesting habits of the carpenter bee: %26#147;Carpenter bees . . . enter primarily unpainted softwoods such as pine and chew that nice 3/8%26quot; entry hole. After chewing a relatively short entrance, the bee will chew another tunnel, several inches long at a ninety-degree angle to the opening where (if it%26#39;s a female) it will lay eggs starting from the back and working toward the opening. These bees will nest in the wood. There is typically one generation of these insects annually with most of the activity in the spring. These bees are known to return to previously used galleries from year to year although other bees can make new galleries as well.%26#148; http://www.bugclinic.com/carpenter_bee.htm As your experience dictates, these insects are most often found in fascia board, deck railings, unpainted lawn furniture, posts, and unpainted playground equipment. PEST CONTROL Yes, you can manage this pest problem yourself! Exclusion is one method of getting rid of these insects. Sealing and painting over the surfaces where you have found these little critters will help prevent them from setting up nest. The Bug Clinic recommends a good enamel or polyurethane as these are the %26#147;most durable and least likely to be attacked again.%26#148; Another exclusion method they recommend is to %26#147;wrap exposed wood with aluminum flashing in areas such as the gutter fascia.%26#148; Pesticides are another possible solution to your problem. Dust is the most effective pesticide for active carpenter bee nests. Products such as, bendiocarb (Ficam D %26#150; available, but no longer in production), carbaryl (Sevin) dust and boric acid (Borid Turbo Aerosol) are effective. Two specific products that you can purchase directly from the Bug Clinic website are %26#147;Apicide%26#148; and %26#147;Borid Turbo.%26#148; For more information on these products and how to purchase them please visit http://www.bugclinic.com/products.htm#Apicide. For more information on carpenter bee pest management you may wish to contact the Bug Clinic directly. Their toll free number is (800) 433-1128. Alternatively, they can be reached via fax at (845)-356-2836 or by Email at drbugclinic@bugclinic.com. Additional Websites that may interest you: Pestproducts.com, carpenter bees page %26#150; offers information on carpenter bee biology, signs of infestation, ways to eliminate these insects. http://www.pestproducts.com/carpenterbees.htm Do Your Own Pest Control %26#150; explains how to identify and eliminate the carpenter bee. http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/carpenter_bees.htm Ohio State University Extension, Entomology %26#150; a fact sheet on carpenter bees. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2074.html University of Kentucky Entomology - gives a summary describing the carpenter bee that includes pictures. http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/struct/ef611.htm Search Terms Used: carpenter bees I hope this information is helpful. Good Luck! Thank you, Shal