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What smell do carpenter bees hate


8 Ways to get rid of Carpenter Bees

The safest way to get rid of Carpenter Bees would be to call a professional bee removal team, such as Bee Serious Bee Removal because when it comes to the safety of your family, you only want the best.

With over 20,000 different species of bees in the world, there are bound to be a few of them that are more of a hindrance than a help. One of those bees is the Carpenter Bee. They look similar to Bumblebees in size and general shape but whereas Bumblebees usually nest in the ground, Carpenter Bees nest and lay their eggs in wood that they have drilled into for protection. If you notice these wood dwellers living in your home, here are 8 ways you can get rid of Carpenter bees on your own.

Although Carpenter Bees are typically docile, they can still cause big problems in your home. The male hovers just outside the nest to protect and fight off any intruders or other bees by engaging in physical combat, albeit without a stinger. The female, who actually does have a stinger, acts as a last line of defense for those who enter the nest. The real problem with Carpenter Bees is what they do to the wooden features of your home. These little insects bore holes out of soft wood and create a series of tunnels to lay their eggs and seek refuge from the weather and danger outside of the nest. Even though this doesn’t seem too bad, over time it will do a lot of damage to your home. Carpenter Bees are looking for raw or untreated wood, damp wood and older outdoor furnishings such as tables and chairs. This means the most common places you will find them is door frames, windows, the siding of your home, patio furniture and exposed wooden beams.

If you have realized that you have a Carpenter Bee infestation, here are a few simple ways to get rid of them or protect your home before they come around looking for a new place to build a nest:

1. Paint or seal any exposed wood around your home.

These little bees are looking for easy to drill wood, therefore, if your deck, door frame or windows are left untreated, they are the prime candidate for a bee infestation.

2. Vacuum the bees out with a wet-vac.

This method is best if the nest is fairly new and if you have a high powered wet-vac. The best time to try this is to wait until the evening because the bees will be back in the nest for the night.

3. Make a lot of noise.

Carpenter bees enjoy the quiet so if you find yourself with some unwanted guests, set up a radio or speaker right next to or on top of where the nest is. Not only does the music disorient them, the vibrations will cause them to evacuate their nest. Often times, once a severe problem has happened in their nest, they will not return to that same place anymore.

4. Make a citrus spray.

Carpenter Bees are naturally repelled by the smell of citrus. in a small pot of water, slice the citrus fruit and boil it in the water for 10-15 minutes to release the juice. Let the citrus water cool down and pour it into a spray bottle with a “stream” nozzle and spray it into the nest site.

5. Boric Acid.

This common household item can be used for a bevy of different DIY insect-removal projects. Mix 3 parts water with 1 part boric acid in a spray bottle and spray inside the entrance hole. This is very poisonous to the carpenter bees and will exterminate them within an hour.

6. Aerosol Carburetor Cleaner.

Although this is not the most natural remedy, it works. Whether they are inside when you spray it inside or not, it will either kill them or make their nest inhabitable.

7. Essential Oils.

Carpenter Bees are very sensitive when it comes to scents inside their nest. Peppermint, tea tree and lemon essential oils are excellent for making their nest unbearable thus making them leave for good. Although this isn’t a permanent solution, it will buy you a little time to safely get them out of the nest without hurting them so you can properly seal the entrance site.

8. Pyrethrum Spray.

Pyrethrum, also called Tanacetum, is a flower that is used a lot in natural pesticides. It is one of the strongest natural insecticides that is allowed in organic gardening.

If you notice a carpenter bee hovering around your house, you can bet there is an entrance to their nest nearby. Although home remedies seem easy and foolproof, you should always wear protective gear when handling chemicals as well as disturbing an insect nest.

If you need help with bee removal, please do not hesitate to contact us today!

How To Stop Carpenter Bees Naturally

Spring has arrived, and so have the carpenter bees – and stopping them from destroying the wood around homes, barns and outdoor structures is at the top of everyone’s list!

A carpenter bee looks very similar to a bumblebee, but without any hair on its stomach. Unlike bumblebees, which live in nests and colonies in the ground, carpenter bees shelter by themselves.

A carpenter bee drills out a home in an old fence post. The holes they carve look so perfect, you would think they have power tools!

And unfortunately, their single family “homes” happen to be created from perfectly drilled holes in the wood. It is in these holes where adult females raise the larva for the next batch of carpenter bees.

If you see signs of sawdust around exterior eaves or wood surfaces, look closer. You will most likely find a perfectly drilled hole nearby. Along with of course, a hovering male bee that serves as a patrol scout for the home.

Stopping Carpenter Bee Damage

Much like with honeybee hives, it is the female carpenter bee that does the majority of the work. Including drilling out the holes for their nest. The males, although they cannot sting, serve as a pesky guard for the nest.

Female carpenter bees drill out holes to raise their young.

Contrary to popular belief, the female carpenter bees are not “eating” the wood. Instead, they are creating shelter and a place to lay their larva.

Shelters that unfortunately ruins the appearance of your exterior wood surfaces. And if left unchecked, leaves that wood open to attack from termites, and the next generation of carpenter bees!

Here are 5 natural methods for stopping carpenter bees and the damage they can cause:

#1 Staining / Painting

The number one rule in stopping carpenter bees with success is to never leave wood surfaces bare. Carpenter bees prefer untreated and unstained wood more than anything else. And nothing keeps them away faster than a fresh coat of paint or stain!

Keeping wooden structures painted or stained is the first line of defense against carpenter bees.

We have all of the wooden structures on the farm stained or painted except for one – our corn crib / straw pen in the garden. And guess where we have carpenter bees?!

If you do want to keep wood in it’s natural state, at the very least, apply a high quality clear sealer to help seal the wood. And, by the way, that is exactly what we will be doing this weekend to the corn crib!

#2 Citrus Oil As A Repellent

Like many insects, carpenter bees hate the smell of citrus oil. And because of this, it serves as the perfect natural repellent for stopping carpenter bees.

Citrus oil is a natural repellent for many insects, including carpenter bees.

Citrus oil sprayed into newly drilled holes will help keep the bees from creating a nest in the hole. You can also wipe down high impact areas with the oil to keep them from returning and drilling more. (Product link : Citrus Oil)

#3 Give Them Their Own Home – Far Away

Carpenter bees are actually an important pollinator for flowers and gardens. As they devour nectar from blooms, they also pollinate quite effectively in the process.

With that in mind, you can also create a space for them to live in peace, and stop carpenter bees from attacking your own wooden structures.

To do this, you can install a carpenter bee house. Carpenter, or mason bee homes as they are often called, have inviting pre-drilled spaces where bees can live.

Giving bees their own space can help reduce the threat of them finding a home where they are not wanted.

By hanging houses where hovering bees are present, you can attract them to the nest. Then, simply move the nest to a tree far away at the edge of your landscape.

Bees return to the same space year after year, and this is one way to peacefully relocate carpenter bees. (Product link: Mason Bee House)

#4 Chimes & Vibration

Carpenter bees do not like vibration or noise around their nesting sites – and wind chimes and wind-noise devices can be a huge help in stopping carpenter bees from drilling nearby.

Wind chimes under the eaves can help to repel carpenter bees.

If you have carpenter bees drilling under the eaves or on your porch, try installing a few chimes to drive them away.

#5 Plug Old Carpenter Bee Holes

When it comes to stopping carpenter bees for the long term, plugging old holes is a must!

Carpenter bees will return to the same hole again and again, and by sealing off the holes, you eliminate an easy return.

Plug old holes to keep bees from coming back year after year.

Before plugging the hole with an exterior wood filler, be sure to clear it of any larvae that may be present. Not only can they still hatch, they can also be sought out by woodpeckers. And then you have a whole new kind of damage to deal with!

Here is to stopping carpenter bees in their tracks! For more information on controlling pests, check out our Pest & Insect Control section on the blog. Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary.

As always, feel free to email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, or to simply say hello! You can sign up for our free email list in the subscribe now box in the middle of this article. Follow us on Facebook here : OWG Facebook. This article may contain affiliate links.

How to get rid of wood bees in the wall of the house: 6 effective ways to fight

Wood bees often settle in a wooden house. These insects can cause severe harm - not only do they scare everyone with their buzzing and unpleasant appearance, they also cause great damage to the structure of the house, up to its destruction. In addition, they have a good memory, it is passed down from generation to generation. For this reason, over and over again, they fly to the wooden structures in which their parents lived before. So what to do if the bees settled in the wall of your house? How to get rid of tree bees in the house? Consider the features of these insects and how to eliminate them. nine0003

Contents

About wood bees

Wood bees are also called carpenter bees. The appearance of these insects differs from their usual relatives used for apiaries. But before you start fighting wood bees, it's still worth considering 10 interesting facts about these insects:

Why they are dangerous

There are many reasons why many owners of residential buildings take appropriate measures to get rid of bees in the wall of the house or in other places. nine0003

It is worth highlighting the most important reasons that indicate that these insects are dangerous:

They breed well. One bee at a time can bring 7-8 bees. A male can fertilize several females. Therefore, during the season, such a number of bees can spawn in one wall, which will be difficult to cope with.

How to get rid of tree bees

The tree bee is an ardent enemy of all owners of wooden houses and various buildings. They are able to settle in a wooden house, lay their eggs there and at the same time destroy the walls. But since the fight against carpenter bees has some difficulties, you should still know the most effective ways to eliminate these inhabitants. nine0068

Making traps

How to lure a swarm of bees out of the wall of a house? It's simple, you need to build special traps made of wood. Since these bees attack various structures made of wood, make holes in them, then in this case you can make a bait.

To make a trap, you will need the following inventory:

  • Plastic bottle;
  • Wooden base boards;
  • Nails and screws for fastening;
  • Hammer;
    • nine0007 Screwdriver;
  • Saw.

The remedy for bees is made according to the following scheme:

  1. First of all, the box of the future trap is cut out. To do this, 4 identical boards are cut out and with a length size of 20-30 cm. Everything is assembled.
  2. Next, the roof of the structure is made, it should protrude slightly at the edges.
  3. The bottom must match the dimensions of the walls of the lure.
  4. All elements are collected in the form of a trap.
  5. From below, a hole with a diameter of 10-20 mm is made in the center. nine0008
  6. Next, cut off the top of the plastic bottle, but it must be possible to cut the edges in the form of a petal.
  7. Then the lower part of the bottle is inserted into the neck, and the joint is fixed with adhesive tape.
  8. The petals should protrude 1-2 cm beyond the edges of the adhesive tape.
  9. With the help of the petals, the bottle is attached to the hole in the traps.
  10. It is necessary to make a hook on the roof of the house, on which the trap will be installed. nine0008
  11. It is best to place the trap on the sunny side, because this way it will be much easier to get the bees out.

It is best to fill the bottle with water and some detergent. The bees will get into this mixture and die faster. Additionally, you can make several holes, they will attract more of these insects.

Application of pesticides

Bee poison in the form of various pesticides is often used to kill bees. Usually these products are available in the form of powders that can be diluted in water. Then the habitats of these parasites are treated with these solutions. The best pesticides are carbaryl and boric acid. nine0003

The use of gasoline and diesel

These products have a detrimental effect on these creatures. To do this, you just need to pour gasoline or diesel fuel into the habitats of tree bees. The action occurs instantly, after the odorous combustible liquid enters the nests of these insects and they die immediately. Care must be taken during processing. It is best to wear protective thick clothing and gloves on your hands. Avoid fire!

Carburetor Cleaner Application

This product is easy to apply and has a high effect. For processing, it is enough to direct the sprayer at the habitats of insects, and spray the liquid. Since the liquid has an unpleasant odor, pests will quickly leave their habitats. In the future, this smell will discourage insects from returning to their old habitats for a long time.

Loud noise and vibration

Tree bees cannot tolerate loud noise and vibration. Therefore, if you put a music center next to the walls and turn on loud music, this will help to instantly bring wild bees out of their nests. They will fly out of their nests and leave them for a long time. nine0003

Mechanical elimination

These insects can hang in the air for a long time without moving. Just at this time, the bee can be caught and crushed. But everything must be done quickly so that the insect does not have time to bite.

Wood bees are nasty insects that cause great damage to wooden buildings. If suddenly you find these inhabitants in the wall of the house, then it is advisable to immediately take appropriate measures to eliminate them. Otherwise, they will lead to the destruction of the entire structure. nine0003

Carpenter bees - why are they 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. nine0003 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). nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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 become 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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

  • even rounded holes in the wood, under which there are yellow spots;
  • the appearance of heaps of sawdust;
  • "swarming" of such bees near your dwelling;
  • Insects crawl into their holes or fly out of them.

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

Bees really don't like 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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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. nine0003

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.

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