Most of us learn about honey bees, bumbles, and wasps when we’re kids, but what about carpenter bees? Who are these little weirdos who chew holes into our fences and outbuildings, and should we keep them around?
Some people can’t stand the idea of a carpenter bee in their yard, while others celebrate their arrival. Who’s right?
Let’s take a look at this fascinating species, including the pros and cons of cohabitating with them.
What are Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees are solitary, long-tongued bee species that can be found almost worldwide, with the exception of the Arctic and Antarctica. They’re in the Xylocopa genus of the Xylocopinae subfamily.
They get their “carpenter” moniker because they create nests in dead wood. Essentially, they chew their way into dead and fallen trees, boards (like in your barn or deck), and tree stumps, and burrow down into the tunnels they’ve made.
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If there are tunnel-like holes in various wooden structures on your property, with little piles of fine sawdust around them, you’re likely dealing with carpenters. They look a bit like bumblebees but with thinner bodies, and only their thorax (upper body) is fuzzy.
In North America, the most common species you’ll come across are:
- Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica), the primary species found throughout central and eastern Canada and the USA, from Newfoundland to Manitoba, down through Kansas and back over to Virginia.
- Southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans), prolific throughout central and southern coastal regions, from North Carolina down to Guatemala.
- Mountain carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex), widely distributed all across North America, Central America, and South America.
- California carpenter bee (Xylocopa californica), common throughout the Pacific Northwest, from Vancouver down to northern Mexico.
- Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa sonorina), which is throughout the American Southwest, across to Hawaii and other Pacific Islands.
Why They’re Considered Detrimental
As per their moniker, carpenter bees live exclusively in wooden nests. As such, any wooden structure you have on your property may be considered prime real estate for them.
Barns, sheds, house siding, porches, patios, and even raised growing beds can end up getting gnawed into. While one or two of these holes won’t cause much damage, repeated borings over time can do a fair bit of structural harm.
Another reason they may be considered detrimental is that they’re often misidentified. A lot of people are afraid of bees, and worry that carpenter bees may be aggressive towards them. In reality, we most often see the male bees buzzing around while the females are in the nests, tending their young.
Male bees don’t have stingers, so although they may buzz around to try to keep you away from their babies, they’re all sound and no fury.
Finally, although we know that these bees are magnificent pollinators, some people consider them to have little value because they don’t produce honey. They feel that unless bees are specifically creating something for human benefit, then they’re simply not worth keeping around.
If you love bees but specifically want to raise them for honey, then read our article on the Five Most Common Honey Bee Breeds to determine which may be right for you.
How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees if You Need To
Since carpenter bees are so beneficial to the local ecosystem (especially as we see bee colony collapses happening worldwide), it’s best to use non-lethal and non-damaging methods of getting rid of them if you really have to. There are a few different methods that you can use to good effect without resorting to harmful chemicals or blunt force damage.
Citrus Oil Spray
Carpenter bees are repulsed by citrus scents. As such, any essential oil with high concentrations of limonene will encourage them to find a new home elsewhere.
Limonene isn’t just a repellent: it serves as a contact insecticide. Bees have taste receptors on their front feet, and if those receptors come into contact with citrus oils, they’ll be absolutely repulsed.
Try biting into a lemon right through the skin and you’ll get an idea of what bees experience when their little toesies touch citrus oils.
To get rid of carpenter bees with a non-toxic spray, combine the following:
- 2 cups of water
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 40-50 drops citrus essential oil (lemon, orange, grapefruit, lemongrass, or citronella work best)
Combine these well and decant the mixture into a misting spray bottle. Then spray this liberally wherever carpenter bees have been boring into your woodwork, such as your home, barn, sheds, fencing, and so on.
Seriously hose down the entire area, making sure to spray a lot of it into any holes they’ve already created.
You can also make greater quantities of this spray and use it as a preventive measure. Simply spray wooden areas with it in early spring, before the carpenter bees have come out of hibernation.
When they seek out tasty wooden areas to nest in, they’ll be repulsed by that horribly fragrant citrus scent and head elsewhere.
Lure Them Elsewhere
These oils may not be effective on older, established nests or if you have particularly ornery bees who are keen on sticking around. If this is the case, your best bet is to redirect their attention by either moving their nest, or making another area more appealing.
For example, if they’ve bored several holes into one or two of your fence boards, you can simply remove those boards, replace them with new, sealed ones, and move the nesting boards to another area on your property.
Alternatively, you can offer some deliciously appealing, untreated cedar or pine boards in an area that you’d prefer them to move to, while repeatedly hosing their current nests with the aforementioned unappealing sprays.
This approach is similar to offering an unwanted housemate another apartment while simultaneously throwing stink bombs into their bedroom.
How to Attract Carpenter Bees if You’d Like More of Them
If you’ve determined that you’d like to keep carpenter bees around—or attract more of them—then your best bet is to entice them with their favorite flower species. These insects feed on the pollen and nectar from a variety of different flowers, but just like all of us, they prefer certain snacks over others.
Since you’re aiming to attract indigenous species, your best bet is to plant native flowering trees and shrubs, as well as wildflowers. Many of their favorite foods are in the mint (Lamiaceae) family, and include various species of:
- Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
- Thyme (Thymus spp.)
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
- Sage (Salvia spp.)
- Bee balm (Monarda spp.)
They’re also immensely fond of daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) and corn/field poppies (Papaver rhoeas). Do your research to find out which mint species are indigenous to your area, and plant plenty of those. Then supplement those food sources with some of the introduced species mentioned above.
Reasons to Keep Them Around (or not)
Like all species, there are pros and cons to having them around. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and detriments of cohabiting with these insects.
Pro: We Need Bees
Carpenter bees are essential pollinators, and therefore are rather invaluable for gardeners and homesteaders. These bees are “buzz” pollinators, which means that they wiggle their wings around and vibrate pollen off their own bodies and onto the female stigmas for fertilization.
At least 15% of all crops are fertilized by native carpenter bees, including species like eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, and passion flowers.
Pro: They’re Resilient Pollinators
Since carpenter bees are “gentle giants”, they aren’t easily blown around by strong winds or rain. In fact, these are one of the few bees that continue to pollinate plants rain or shine.
Con: Structural Damage
If carpenter bees have chewed holes into your home or outbuildings, that can damage their structural integrity over time. After all, hole-y boards are more likely to warp and buckle, and are also more susceptible to weather damage. Holes can accumulate damp and rot, and although your barn isn’t likely to collapse from one damaged board, cumulative damage in support beams over time can lead to some expensive repair work.
Con: Potential Danger if Allergic to Bee Stings
While carpenter bees are mostly beneficial friends, it’s understandable that people who are allergic to bee stings may be wary of them. Although these bees are very docile and the females only sting when threatened or physically harmed, the risk of anaphylaxis isn’t worth the stress of cohabitation with them.
If you or some of your family members are severely allergic to bee venom, and you have difficulty getting rid of carpenter bees on your own, please don’t hesitate to call in an exterminator to remove them.
