Thank you.

We have two insect repellents that work well on most any insects including cicada's. These products won't kill anything; they're only meant to keep annoying and invasive pests away. Used mostly for mosquitoes, gnats, wasps and other pests that commonly invade homes, these same products can be used to chase away cicada's.

The first one is the MOSQUITO REPELLENT. It comes in a ready-to-spray jug which means all you need to do is hook it up to your garden hose and you're ready to use it. The power of the water pressure for your home is what will propel it out and most homes supply a strong enough water flow so the spray can reach quite high. Be sure to get some material on as much of the tree as possible. And focus your attention to the trees they seem to like. Repeat when they return; most people will have to treat 2-3 times per season depending on the cycle for any particular year. And most applications will last 1-3 weeks.

The second option is a concentrate. NBS  INSECT REPELLENT is mostly used for pests like wasps, carpenter bees and other invasive insects on the home. The most popular way to use it is to add some to your paint or stain when finishing the exterior of the home or any other structure you want to keep pest free. It can also be mixed with water and sprayed out over these same areas. It's perfectly safe for plants and when used on trees and shrubs and bushes where cicada's like to rest, it will effectively repel them for 2-4 weeks. Again, retreat as needed and mix it up at the rate of 3 oz per gallon. Most people will use it in a HOSE END SPRAYER so they're able to reach quite high where cicada's like to roost.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Mosquito Repellent:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/mosquito-flea-gnat-tick-repellent

Insect Repellent:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

Hose End Sprayer:  http://www.gotosprayer.com/sprayers/hose-end-sprayers/gilmour-six-gallon-hose-end-385

If you read the write up on the NBS INSECT REPELLENT, you'll learn it won't kill anything so it's a good option for deterring this unwanted behavior. However, if the bees have already begun laying eggs, they might be reluctant to move away. Think of it this way.

If you were raising some kids and living in a home which was quite comfortable for you and your family, you wouldn't simply move away if you came home one day and noticed something foul smelling on the siding of the house. And if your kids were inside the home, you'd no doubt make sure they were safe and do whatever you could to make the smell go away so you could continue living there. But you wouldn't readily pick up and leave without trying to make it work first.

The same is true for any bees with an established nest. If you were to spray or pour the NBS down and on the wood where the drilling is happening, no doubt the bees will smell it. But if she's got young or eggs inside the nest, she probably won't just pack up and move. In fact she'll most likely try to wait it out hoping the smell will wane enough to be tolerable. Now there is a chance she will give up easily if the nest is new and not important but it's a 50-50 chance. NBS was really invented to stop new bee activity and not to drive away bees which were already established and nesting with young and it's important to understand this trait of the product.

In summary, there is a good chance the treatment will chase away the bees doing the damage. But if the nest is established with young or eggs, you'll have to treat it with the DRIONE DUST as explained in our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE to get rid of them once and for all.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

NBS Repellent:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray

Drione Dust:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html

Carpenter Bee Article:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

The products found on NON-TOXIC-PEST-CONTROL are all alternative or "safer" type sprays. These products have been categorized by the federal government as very safe to use because they have little to no impact on the local environment. In fact, these products are essentially exempt from all the general labeling requirements traditional pesticides must file and process before they can be sold. You can confidently apply any of the exempt products listed on our pages to the play set directly and it won't pose a hazard to your family, pets or environment.

With this information, you can now use these "alternative" products in place of the pesticides. Though these won't last as long they will cure the problem and should prove up to the task. The main difference will be you may have to apply more and do an extra treatment or two since you won't be allowed nearly as much leeway in making a mistake.

The first thing you should do is to go back to our CARPENTER BEE CONTROL ARTICLE and identify if you would want to use the dust or liquid concentrate for your particular problem. For example, DRIONE is recommended for dusting nests in our article. On this site, you'll find MOTHERS EARTH DE DUST, which is a great alternative, as is the CONCERN DE DUST. Apply them with a BULB DUSTER and you'll take care of any carpenter bee nest directly treated with either material.

In place of the CYPERMETHRIN, a true pesticide, you can opt for the INSECT REPELLENT listed on this site. It won't kill foraging bees but it will do a good job of repelling them from your structure which in turn will prevent new nests from forming.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Carpenter Bee Article:  http://www.carpenterbees.com/carpenter-bee-control

Drione Dust: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page256.html

Mothers Earth Dust:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/dust/mothers-earth-diatomaceous-dust

DE Dust:  http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/dust/concern-diatomaceous-earth

Bulb Duster:  http://www.gotosprayer.com/dusters/hand-dusters/crusader-hand-duster

Cypermethrin:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page259.html

Insect Repellent: http://www.non-toxic-pest-control.com/repellents/nbs-repellent-insect-spray