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These native pollinators can give your garden a boost.
Carpenter bees are essential pollinators that are beneficial for your garden and the ecosystem. But when they live up to their name—by burrowing into your home's foundation or siding—these insects can quickly become a nuisance. Ahead, entomologists share when to encourage carpenter bees to move into your garden and when to help them relocate to greener pastures.
Meet the Experts
- Tracy Ellis, an award-winning entomologist at FarmSense with extensive experience working with carpenter bees
- Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist with Mosquito Squad Plus
The Case for Keeping Carpenter Bees Around
Carpenter bees are native pollinators. They collect pollen and nectar to feed themselves and their young through winter hibernation, says award-winning entomologist Tracy Ellis. Like honeybees, carpenter bees are classified as generalist pollinators, meaning their pollination efforts are not restricted to specific plants, says Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist at Mosquito Squad Plus. "This allows them to assist in the health and development of several important native plants and wildflowers," she notes.
Additionally, male carpenter bees cannot sting, making them less troublesome than wasps and hornets when roaming around your yard. While female carpenter bees can sting, they rarely do, unless they are extremely provoked. The male bees may seem intimidating, as they have a tendency to hover a short distance from people, but they are generally harmless insects that only serve to boost your garden.
The Case for Getting Rid of Carpenter Bees
While carpenter bees are helpful pollinators, they can become a nuisance in certain circumstances. These insects burrow into wood for shelter and to rear their young. Usually, their nesting sites are fallen and dying trees and logs. Other times, they might decide to move into your home's foundation. "Carpenter bees may have an affinity for houses and home structures because the wood is more exposed and accessible to drill into," Crumbley says.
Patios, decks, stilts, eaves, and soffits are easy for carpenter bees to bore into, as these areas are often less disturbed or occupied than nearby wood. Here, the bees typically don't have to worry about predators or compete with other insects, she adds.
The bad news is carpenter bees tend to be defensive near their nests, says Ellis. The best safety measure when encountering bees near nests is to leave the area and create distance to avoid being stung by female carpenter bees. "Few people have serious allergies to bee stings, but anyone receiving a sting should be assessed for breathing difficulties and seek medical attention if an adverse reaction occurs," Ellis says.
How to Prevent Carpenter Bees From Becoming a Problem
Prevention is key to keeping carpenter bees from taking up residence in or around your home. Crumbley says if you are considering adding a new addition to your home's exterior, many state-regulated IPM programs will advise installing hardwood such as teak, cedar, and mahogany. These are all woods that carpenter bees have a more difficult time drilling through, encouraging them to make their nests somewhere other than your home.
Tips
Painting outdoor wooden house features may also deter carpenter bees from drilling and making nests.
Other prevention methods include inspecting your home's wood foundation for unwanted gaps, cracks, or crevices, Crumbley says. Remove these potential entry points to prevent carpenter bees from finding their way into your home. Plug empty or unoccupied holes already in your foundation with wooden dowels or plugs to prevent carpenter bees from reusing old nest tunnels, she says.
Read the original article on Martha Stewart
