Or learn to love them: Some say it’s a compliment to have carpenter bees around.This should be done in the evening while bees are in their nests, she said. If you feel strongly about killing these bees, you can puff sevin dust into carpenter bee tunnels while they’re nesting. Avoid insecticides: “We don’t need more bee-toxic substances in the environment when we have so many other species of bees that we are trying to support!” Elsa Youngsteadt, an assistant professor in NC State’s Department of Applied Ecology, told The N&O last year.Note: Staining wood does not prevent carpenter bees from drilling, she said. It’s important to check paint and ensure it has not weathered or peeled off, which would allow bees easier access to this wood. Paint your wood: Polyurethane or oil-based paints are some of the most recommended paints to divert the bees, Crawley said.Unvarnished, soft wood (such as pine, cedar and spruce) is the most attractive choice, as they avoid most hardwood, Crawley said.Īfter the holes have been drilled, you can move this wood to your preferred location, if you want the bees out of your yard. Use dummy wood: Put out a plank or two of carpenter bees’ favorite wood, that way they’ll gnaw through this wood instead of your deck or furniture.Pollinators such as the carpenter bee make NC’s produce possible.īut if you’re sick of seeing tiny drillings around your home, here’s how you can divert these bees elsewhere:
CARPENTER BEE STING HOW TO
How to safely get rid of carpenter beesīefore you rush to kill carpenter bees, know that they contribute greatly to NC’s agricultural landscape. And they’ll only sting you if they’re confined in your hand or incredibly agitated. “They are all bark and no bite - or all buzz and no stinger,” she said.įemale carpenter bees do have stingers, but it’s rare you’ll see them. However, their lack of a stinger precludes them from doing any real damage,” Crawley said. “Male carpenter bees are territorial and will harass perceived intruders. You can identify them by the white spot on their faces. The majority of the carpenter bees buzzing around are male. Most carpenter bees you see don’t have stingers, meaning they couldn’t sting you even if they tried. These tunnels can be in trees, picnic tables, a deck or your porch.įor more information on carpenter bees, visit /carpenter-bees and. The female bees will tunnel inside wood to gather pollen and lay their eggs, and they typically return to the same tunnel each year. They’re solitary bees, which means they don’t live with other bees and form colonies.
Carpenter bees are important pollinators for spring and summer plants, as well as food for birds and other animals, said Sydney Crawley, NC State Extension specialist for insects and vertebrate pests.
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