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Citrus spray carpenter bees


Using Citrus Oil To Prevent Carpenter Bees - Spray Recipe and Instructions

The practice of using essential oils as insecticides and insect repellents is ancient. Chemical insecticides are toxic and can harm anything it touches—including non-target organisms. In this light, organic pest control substitutes are preferable. Citrus essential oils are good alternatives to synthetic chemical insecticides. With a vast array of benefits, they are also effective in insect pest control.

As pollinators, carpenter bees play a crucial part in nature and man. But in search of a nest site, they cause structural damage to property. Still, we should take care in controlling them, by choosing less deleterious procedures. Carpenter bees, like every other insect pest, are repulsive to citrus oils. So, a simple application of these oils can ward them off. Below, we will dive into the details of what citrus essential oils are and how they can get rid of carpenter bees.

Table of Contents

Citrus Essential Oils—What are They?

Plants of the Citrus genus have incredible value to humankind. They provide us with nutritious fruits, and produce beneficial essential oils. Citrus essential oils are concentrated oils obtained mainly from the rind of Citrus fruits. These oils can also be gotten from other vegetative parts such as their flowers, leaves, and seeds. Examples of such citrus fruits include sweet orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, and mandarin.

Citrus essential oils contain compounds such as monoterpenes, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Many research reveals that monoterpenes are the most abundant compounds in essential oils. Amongst the monoterpenes, limonene is the most plentiful and active against carpenter bees. These compounds have biological activities that provide health benefits and kill pests. Several studies report that citrus oils can serve as a repellent, and contact insecticide against insect pests.

Citrus oils serve a wide range of purposes. They provide many health benefits and are used in food preparation. In the pharmaceutical and beauty industries, citrus essential oils are valuable ingredients. Due to their microbicidal nature, they serve as cleaners and organic disinfectants. Also, like insecticides and repellents, they work well with pest control strategies.

Can Citrus Oil Get Rid Of Carpenter Bees?

Citrus essential oils work mainly as insect repellents. Some say that citrus oil kills carpenter bees on contact, but from my tests that doesn’t seem to be the case, or it could be if you use a huge amount.

If you’re looking for more stopping power, take a look at our guide on what kills carpenter bees on contact!

Along with this, the scent of citrus oil is repulsive to carpenter bees, thus fending them off from the area and can be used as an effective repellent to protect your home.

The methods involved in the extraction of citrus oils involve using heat or energy. This dissolves and drives the volatile oils out of the citrus peels. Although these are industrial processes, you can do them at home with the right tools. You can buy citrus oil from stores, or you can extract the oil at home. There are two common ways to extract citrus oils:

Cold pressing is a method that requires little or no heat to extract the citrus oil. It gives a good result though it requires a lot of energy. Also, it reduces the effect of heat that may tamper with the constituents of the Citrus. It is mechanical because it involves the crushing of citrus rinds by hand, or with a machine. After crushing, the oils are separated and collected from the other citrus extracts.

This is a meticulous procedure that requires control in temperature, time, and pressure. Steam is passed through the crushed citrus peels in an enclosed container. This is done to release the volatile oils. Then the extracted oils are collected in a different container.

You can simply boil citrus rinds in a pot of water for the oils to infuse into the water. Then, fill a mist bottle with the infusion, and use it as a citrus spray for carpenter bees.

Benefits of Citrus Oil For Carpenter Bees

  1. As Natural Insecticide

Well extracted citrus oil is potent and loaded with many natural chemical constituents. Hence, it can kill carpenter bees in contact. This works well if the oil is not diluted. You can also combine citrus oil with vinegar or other essential oils. Add enough drops of citrus oil to a mist bottle containing vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or water. Then, spray the mixture in infested areas. Evenings are the best time to spray because carpenter bees are active in the daytime. Make sure to repeat the process at least once a week, as citrus oil is volatile and does not last long. Secure your eyes and skin when applying the treatment, as citrus oil can be harsh on the skin. You should change infested wood parts after driving off the carpenter bees. yo get rid of the dead bees to avoid fungal rot. You can also call a bee exterminator if you notice carpenter bees returning to your home.

  1. As Deterrent/Repellent

A lower concentration of citrus oil can serve as a good repellent. Add 6-8 drops of citrus oil in a mist bottle containing water, alcohol, or vinegar. You can boil citrus peels in water instead and use them as a citrus spray. Apply the mixture before the onset of Spring to ward off looming carpenter bees. This will serve as a preventive measure to keep them away. You can also burn citrus oil-infused candles around your yard. Cover up pre-existing nest holes after treating them with citrus oil. This will aid to deter carpenter bees from reusing the spot at the onset of their breeding season.

Drawbacks of Citrus Oil Based Insecticide/Repellent

Despite their desirable properties, citrus oil insecticides have some shortcomings. Citrus essential oils are volatile in nature. So when applied to an infested surface, they can evaporate. Also, they leave no residues after evaporation. This implies that citrus essential oils may not last long, and need constant to be effective. Due to their organic nature, citrus oils are biodegradable. This limits their lasting effect as insecticides. For these reasons, advanced research has provided some solutions. Encapsulation of citrus oil in nanoparticles can extend their efficacy and reduce volatility. When they are applied in carpenter bees’ nests, they can easily be ingested. The water-soluble nanoparticles will dissolve, releasing the citrus oil in the carpenter bee. A disadvantage to this method is that it is lethal to the bees and non-target organisms may also fall victim.

How To Make Citrus Spray For Carpenter Bees:

  1. Slice Up 3-5 Lemons or Limes or other citrus fruits into thin slices.
  2. Bring water to a boil in a pot, and add the sliced up citrus fruits.
  3. Boil the fruit and water combo for 10-15 minutes to extract the juice into the water.
  4. Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit and cool.
  5. Once cooled, pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
  6. Spray the mixture in and around active carpenter bee nesting sites, as well as around your property to prevent and deter carpenter bees!

Where To Buy Citrus Oil For Carpenter Bees

If you don’t want to make your own citrus oil spray for carpenter bees, then have no fear you can actually just purchase your own spray!

We recommend the following sprays for carpenter bees:

Does Orange Oil Repel Carpenter Bees?

Yes, orange oil repels carpenter bees! Carpenter bees are easily repelled by any type of citrus smell or scent, and orange oil is enough to deter carpenter bees from coming around your home!

If you’re looking for orange oil for carpenter bees we recommend Green Gobbler Orange Oil since it’s natural and effective!

Final Thoughts On Carpenter Bee Citrus Spray!

To save the environment and limit the use of chemical insecticides, you should choose citrus oil to repel carpenter bees. Many studies prove that citrus essential oils can control carpenter bees. Also, they have served as a natural insecticide and insect repellent for decades. Citrus oil contains many compounds but the most abundant insecticidal component is limonene. Citrus oil generally is more effective than almond oil for carpenter bees, but it goes back to the same concept of deterring carpenter bees!

Cold pressing and steam distillation are common methods to extract citrus oil. But you can prepare a citrus spray at home by infusion. Since citrus oil is repulsive to carpenter bees, you can use it as a repellent to ward them off. Also, you can use a higher concentration of citrus oil to kill carpenter bees. Citrus oils leave no residue and may not last on treated surfaces. So research suggests that encapsulated ones will extend their efficacy.

About The Author:

David Floyd has 20 years of experience working as a pest control technician as well as running his own pest control company. His main goal is to provide accurate and helpful DIY tips to keep your home pest-free and how to identify different types of household pests!

Citrus Spray for Carpenter Bees: Tested Natural Protection

Here’s my story over citrus spray for carpenter bees. Once returning from a family vacation, we noticed interesting “neighbors.” These were unusual dark-colored insects, similar either to large flies or to bumblebees.

They lived directly inside the canvas of our front door. There were several holes, which these insects periodically flew out and into. They’ve obviously set up there and had no plans to leave! I clearly recognized carpenter bees.

Such tenants can cause significant damage to new buildings and wooden surfaces. Moreover, their bites can be quite painful and dangerous, especially for those with allergies. What are these insects and how to deal with them? Here is the natural way to go — citrus spray for carpenter bees.

Guide on Citrus Carpenter Bee Repellent Spray

Carpenter bees can become a real nuisance for country house owners. They often build nests close to humans: in front doors, decking, porches, cornices, stair railings, garden furniture, wooden fence posts and so on. Every year they cause massive damage by tunneling wooden structures in various designs.

The insects could also be quite invasive. It is males who show the greatest aggressiveness, but they are not able to attack since they do not have a sting. Females, however, can sting, but only if seriously provoked. In particular, you shouldn’t swing your arms too much, catch bees or press them hard, it’s better to just ignore their buzzing and flying over your head.

The best defense against carpenter bees is, as in many cases, prevention. Wood such as pine, fir, cypress, oak, and mahogany, especially if the wood is not barked, stained, or treated, are the most common to be damaged.

You can suspect having such unusual neighbors by the following signs:

So what shall you do with it? Further are given step-by-step instructions. Carpenter bee traps do not always work, and the solution must be environmentally friendly, humane and safe. This option is just what you need.

DIY Citrus Carpenter Bee Repellent

Why carpenter bees don’t like strong smells, and what smells do carpenter bees hate?

Insects do not tolerate strong and pungent odors, this is especially true for carpenter bees that feed on wood and have no need in odors as a guide to collect pollen.

Such smells are a signal of danger and, respectively, repel the bees. Garlic, cinnamon, almond, geranium, tomato, alcohol, gasoline, and vinegar work effectively. The most effective and safe, as practice shows, is a citrus oil spray for carpenter bees.

How to make and use it:

  1. First, let’s prepare everything necessary. We will need water and citrus fruits (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, kumquat) and salt. Yes, your slice of lemon lying around in the fridge will do. You may as well use only one kind of fruit, but I prefer to mix. As you can see, the ingredients are very simple and natural. They can be found everywhere, and the remedy will not cause harm to others. The quantity is determined at our discretion or according to the possibilities. The more concentrated the remedy we prepare, the more effectively it will work.
  2. Citrus fruits should be washed in cold water and cut for convenience.
  3. Next, carefully squeeze the juice into a separate bowl. We will add it later to our spray.
  4. Now we should cut the peel and pulp, or rather its remains, as finely as possible (so the fruit will release more essential oils). Then put it all in a saucepan filled with cold salty water. You can also add a few cloves of garlic if you like.
  5. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid and let it cool completely.
  7. In the meantime, add essential oils (optional) of citronella, geranium, lemongrass, and mint to the juice. Сitrus oil for carpenter bees is really a strong repellent, so it’s highly recommended to include them too. Here you can also use only 1 essential oil or a combination. Even a few drops are enough.
  8. When our broth has cooled, you need to strain it. This way it will be more convenient to spray the product during processing. Waste can then be composted and also used effectively as fertilizer.
  9. Mix juice with oils and broth. Pour it into a spray bottle. Voila! We are ready to fight uninvited guests in the garden.

Now let’s talk about the processing itself. You need to properly prepare for it. The most efficient time for processing is during the daytime since the carpenter bees are usually not in the nest during this period. Watch the nest. Pick up the moment when the insects flew out.

Thoroughly treat all wooden surfaces and the surrounding area, such as the lawn. While spraying, pay special attention to cracks in the wood sheet, if any. Carpenter bees look for cracks that will make their entrances less visible to woodpeckers, so they prefer to populate such wood.

Insects may return, so treatment should be carried out every year at least several times during the active season.

N.B. A little about safety.

FAQ

Does orange oil repel carpenter bees?

Yes, it only repels but causes no harm. Any strong odors for these insects are an indicator of danger. Accordingly, bees avoid such places and objects for safety reasons.

What smell attracts carpenter bees?

Earthy, wooden smells and sweat. These are smells reminiscent of their natural habitat or food source. They signal that carpenter bees could feel comfortable here and attract insects.

Is orange oil safe for bees?

Yes, it isn’t harmful. Citrus oils do not cause discomfort or problems for bees because they are a natural component. Due to its pungent odor, the components of the spray only repel insects.

How to Safely Deal With Carpenter Bees

I shared the safe way to solve a problem that is quite relevant in the warm season. Insects often coexist with people in the modern world. Unfortunately, this is not always comfortable and leads to certain difficulties.

Our main task is to minimize the harm from such coexistence for both parties. Besides, the pleasant smell of citrus is not so bad, don’t you think? Would it be interesting for you to try such spray?

Also read:

References:

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Carpenter bees - what are dangerous and how to get rid of them? Photo — Botanichka

Once at an old dacha we noticed some interesting "neighbors". These were unusual dark-colored insects, similar either to large flies, or to bees, or to bumblebees. And they lived directly inside the canvas of the front door to the house. The door was old, it had several holes of incomprehensible origin, from which these insects periodically flew out and flew in. They've obviously set up accommodation there! I don’t know what damage was done to the country door, which already required replacement, but, as we later found out, such tenants can cause significant damage to new buildings. What are these insects and how to deal with them, I will tell in this article.

Carpenter bees - why are they dangerous and how to get rid of them? © Elena Kreuzberg

Features of carpenter bees

Carpenter bees ( Xylocopa valga ) live on all continents except Antarctica. They have a body length of 12 to 25 mm. The color is black, greenish-black, dark blue with a metallic sheen or purple tint. The wings of these insects are black with a blue-violet sheen. Antennae black above, reddish below. There are yellow areas on the head near the eyes, and yellowish hairs are also present on the legs, chest and abdomen (but not as bright or numerous as in bumblebees).

Carpenter bees have a large, dense build and are sometimes confused with bumblebees. To unmistakably identify such a bee, look at the upper abdomen of the insect. While the abdomen of a bumblebee is densely covered with hairs, the upper abdomen of the carpenter bee will be hairless, black, and shiny.

These bees are solitary, they "dig" tunnels in wood to make their home, especially preferring the bare and weathered surface of the tree. They gnaw their passages with their jaws, and the length of the passages is from 30 cm to 1.5 m, the entrance diameter is from 0.7 mm to 1 cm. It is important to note that carpenter bees do not feed on wood throughout their entire life cycle, and sawdust thrown out by insects.

Each larva is in an individual cell located inside such a passage. Although these bees do not form a swarm, several females can live together in the same nest, with one female breeding while the others guard the brood. Bees often block the entrance to the nest with their own abdomen.

Males and females overwinter in nesting passages. When it gets warm enough in spring, the adults emerge from the nests and mate. The males die shortly after mating, and the females begin to dig new tunnels or expand old buildings. Carpenter bees, like honey bees, feed on pollen and nectar. Females provide their larvae with food by placing balls of pollen and bee bread in the cell in advance, after which the bee lays eggs in each chamber and soon dies.

The offspring of the eggs hatch after a few days, and the young larvae begin to feed on the food left for them by the mother. Within five to seven weeks (depending on the temperature conditions of the environment), the bee pupates and reaches an adult state. A new generation of carpenter bees emerge in late summer to feed on nectar before preparing for winter. The life span of a carpenter bee does not exceed one year.

These insects, like common bees, are good pollinators, but only for flowers with an open corolla. But plants with deeper nectar are a problem for them, and insects treat them “barbarically”. To get to the sweet nectar, the carpenter bees cut the side of the flower, penetrate into the center, and deprive the flower of its juice without providing any pollination services in return, since they do not come into contact with the anthers.

In order to collect pollen grains for food for larvae, carpenter bees practice a very interesting technique called “buzz pollination”. It looks like this: when a bee lands on a flower, it uses its pectoral muscles to create vibrating sound waves that shake the pollen off the anthers.

Carpenter bee or wood borer bee (Xylocopa valga). © Vlad Proklov

Why are carpenter bees dangerous?

Carpenter bees can be a real nuisance for summer residents and owners of country houses. They often build nests close to humans: in front doors, decking, porches, cornices, stair railings, garden furniture, wooden fence posts, and other similar structures. Every year they cause massive damage to the tree by tunneling in various designs.

Carpenter bees are certainly not termites or carpenter beetles, they do not feed on wood, and their nest tunnels are limited in size. However, after a few years, the damage to the wood can become quite significant as the bees widen old tunnels and "dig" new ones. If carpenter bees are allowed to tunnel through a wooden structure year after year, the cumulative damage can be significant.

In addition, they also spoil the appearance of wooden structures, leave stains with their feces. Since such bees are used to recovering at the entrance to their dwelling, yellow spots can be seen on the surface of the tree, just below the entrance to the nest.

These insects can also be aggressive, especially during the mating season, which occurs in April-May. At this time, male carpenter bees usually fly around the nest holes in search of females. During such a period, aggressive insects may well fly very close to people and animals, even deliberately crash into them and dive overhead.

It is the males who show the greatest aggressiveness, but they are not able to bite, since they do not have a stinger. But females can already sting, but only if they are seriously provoked. In particular, don't swing your arms too much, catch bees or press them hard, it's better to just ignore their buzzing and aggressive flights over your head.

Read also our article How black wasps helped us in the fight against pest larvae.

Bee trap

How to get rid of carpenter bees?

The best defense against carpenter bees is, as in many cases, preventing them from attacking. These insects prefer to damage woods such as pine, fir, cypress, oak, and mahogany, especially if the wood is not barked, stained, or treated.

Sometimes bees also colonize painted wood, especially if the paintwork is old and peeling. Therefore, you can prevent carpenter bees from nesting in the first place by painting the exterior of the house or other woodwork, or by resurfacing an old coat of paint. A fresh coat of paint or varnish is unattractive to the carpenter bee.

Close as many cracks in the wood as possible. Carpenter bees look for cracks that will make their entrances less visible to woodpeckers, so they prefer to populate such wood. Therefore, as soon as the installation of the structure is completed, be sure to seal all cracks and crevices.

If carpenter bees have already inhabited your wooden structures, it is better to try to simply expel insects without destroying them, since in Russia and Ukraine these insects are listed in the Red Book.

You can suspect that you have such unusual neighbors by the following signs:

Read also our article Firefighter beetles - how useful for the garden and can they harm?

Bees really dislike vibration and loud noises near their home. Therefore, in order for the bee to leave its nest, it is recommended to periodically turn on the perforator, or listen to loud music with low bass. It is believed that after some time (on average, after 2-3 days) the bees should leave their nest in search of a quieter place.

Another way is to watch the nest and close up all the entrances and exits to the burrows when the occupants leave them. As soon as you see that the bees have flown outside in the spring, seal the holes for the nests with putty. You can also putty the nest entrances in the fall, after the next generation of carpenter bees have hatched. Before puttying, it is recommended to spray inside a spray with citrus essential oil diluted with water, and also put a piece of a steel mesh sponge into the hole. Holes can also be covered with sealant or putty.

You can also make a bee trap that mimics a natural carpenter bee nest with angled entry holes. Inside, it has the shape of a funnel (for example, you can insert a cut off top from a plastic bottle). A bee, climbing into a hole, falls into a wooden chamber, after which it falls into a funnel from a bottle, which leads it into a container of water (bottom of the cut bottle). You can also add soapy water to the water to make it harder for the insect to get out. Once the carpenter bees start filling the trap, their pheromones will begin to attract other carpenter bees.

Where is the best place to place such a trap? If your wooden structures are already infested with carpenter bees, place the traps where there is a particular activity of insects, and in particular, right above the existing holes. If carpenter bees have not yet chosen your property, but you are afraid of their appearance, set traps in the corners and tops of buildings, preferably on the sunniest side of your house.

With regard to inhumane methods, involving the destruction of insects, the use of insecticides, which are sprayed or covered in holes, is practiced. The bee, penetrating into the nest, touches the poison with its abdomen. Also, boric acid and aerosol cleaner for carburetors, which are sprayed into the hole, will help against bees.

About the common carpenter bee, how to get rid of the tree bee in the wall of the house

Contents:

When you see a strange insect in your own garden, especially not in a single copy, it is better to learn more about it in order to be sure of its harmlessness danger to people. Recently, these include the carpenter bee, which is also known as the blue bee.

Common carpenter bee

The insect belongs to the Apidae family and is a solitary bee species. This particular species has relatively large dimensions - the body length reaches a maximum of 3 cm. In the common people, a carpenter bee is called a xylokop or tree nest. In total, there are more than 500 species that unite 30 breeds. Outwardly, most of them differ only in shades.

Individuals living in Russia are more like hairy flies with a black body and beautiful wings that shimmer with a blue-violet or blue sheen.

Carpenter bee

Habitat and lifestyle description

The wood bee gets its name from making honeycomb dwellings in dead wood by cutting through multi-level nests with multiple cells in each of which a larva will develop.

During "construction work" it makes sounds like a modern drill. Sounds can be heard within a radius of several meters. The entrance to the monastery is always perfectly round and alone, as if it had been drilled through with a drill.

Since the nest is built for the future generation, the bee's children can also use it, but this is not necessary. As a rule, only a couple of individuals remain, or even one when the queen dies. Creating housing is one of their main instincts.

Making a nest

There are carpenter bees all over the Earth, but most of them settled in the central and western parts of Europe, in the Caucasus. In Russia, solitary insects are found in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, the Central Black Earth Region, the Volga region and other places where climatic conditions are similar.

Due to the fact that the blue bee's favorite nesting place is dead wood, it is most often found in summer cottages, near parks, forests and groves. Fences, old telegraph poles, and other buildings made of this material are an ideal haven for her.

When choosing a place, the location of the food source plays a big role, but carpenter bees can fly many kilometers in search of food.

Important! The main activity of insects of this species falls on the period from May to September, in rare cases October, if the autumn is warm enough.

The diet is no different from the diet of ordinary bees: plant pollen, sweet fruits, etc. Collecting pollen, she smears it with her saliva and dilutes it with nectar stored in honey crops. Thanks to this, during a long flight, the collected does not crumble.

Bee saliva contains special microbes that instantly start the fermentation process and turn the product into bee bread. They are fed by adults and only emerging larvae. But for the latter, the bees turn the substance into protein-rich royal jelly.

Are they dangerous to humans? The poison injected into the wound immediately provokes a large edema, which hurts for a long time and severely. The active substance has a depressant effect on the central nervous system and often a nervous shock occurs. If she stings in the throat, it is fatal.

Bee venom causes large swelling

Black bee

When planning to start getting rid of these insects, you should know a few important facts about them:

These insects are listed in the Red Book, therefore it is forbidden to systematically destroy them, but tolerating dangerous neighbors is also not a worthy alternative.

How to get rid of wood bees in the wall of a wooden house with a gentle method

Central Russian bee

Few disinfection services will contact black bees, as it is illegal. Therefore, the question of how to get rid of tree bees on your own is of particular relevance. Given the circumstances, the only way to get rid of insects is with sound vibrations.

The lumberjack bee is very sensitive to noise. It is enough to turn on loud music next to the proposed housing. Preferably a composition with low frequencies - high-quality bass. Blue bees will leave their wooden house on their own.

Drive out the bees with low frequency music

There is a more aggressive but effective method.

Blue-blue bee remedy

How to deal with tree bees if the noise did not help?

The easiest way to keep these insects out of your home is with sticky fly traps. But it is effective for single capture.

In addition, there are other means:

Important! Individuals themselves are not aggressive. If the carpenter wasp does not feel a threat to its life and the integrity of the "house", it will not attack.

Preventive measures

Having got rid of carpenter wasps once, no one can guarantee that they will no longer appear in the house or building where they lived before.

Bee leaf cutter

To do this, you need to perform certain manipulations:

Method of preparation: crush orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit peels and boil for some time in a shallow container, filling with water. After cooling, strain and place in an aerosol spray. It is worth spraying the entrances to the abode of bees.

Please note! Also, all predatory insects do not tolerate citrus oil. Almond oil and essence also cope with this task.

In addition to all of the above, the following must be taken into account: