What exactly is a carpenter bee?

A carpenter bee is similar to a bumble bee. Their main difference is that they don’t have the yellow and black stripe rear ends that bumble bees have. In fact, their rear ends are shiny.

A carpenter bee gets its name from their nesting behavior. They burrow into wood – dead wood, bamboo, and…. my porch ceilings (which are made of cedar).

At first I did not know what was happening. I had the most perfect round holes, about 1/2” diameter, in my porch ceilings and the railings of my deck. I then noticed a little pile of sawdust under the holes (they do not eat the wood). I asked my friends and hit the web.

Here are a few facts that I learned about carpenter bees:

• The female ‘drills’ a hole into the wood and then proceeds to make a tunnel inside the wood. She gathers pollen, rolls it into a ball and then places it at the end of the tunnel. She then lays an egg on top of the pollen ball. She repeats this process until the tunnel is filled with pollen balls and eggs.
• The males fly around to protect the tunnel and the female while she is laying her eggs. They both nest in there at night.
• They don’t usually sting unless you are a tad too close.
• They prefer holes that face toward the ground. Porch ceilings or under deck railings.

Did you know that a carpenter bee can do massive damage inside your wood. They can totally weaken your structure. Those holes need to be treated. Or better yet, prevented. Now, keep in mind, that bees are pollinators and good for the environment so it isn’t a good idea to kill them – just frustrate their nesting/egg laying process and get them moving along.

How to get rid of them naturally?

1. Paint your house, deck or structure – they only like untreated wood. Painting will protect the wood from the bees.

2. Wait until you see them leave the nest during the day and seal up the holes. I use a caulk that matches my cedar ceiling. You want them to be gone – otherwise they will just drill another tunnel and come out the other side.
3. Spray infested areas with a natural citrus spray. Cut up the rinds of several different citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit) and boil them in a shallow pot filled with water. Fill a spray bottle with the citrus-extract water and spray the carpenter bee holes with it. Like other insects, they do not like citrus oil.
4. Use almond oil. Mix almond oil and water – spray on and in the holes.
5. Play loud music. The vibrations from the music deter them from staying. I certainly would not want to be nesting with loud music around me. Would you?

Some of the methods above might have to be repeated for a few days.

But, sometimes a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do –

1. Hang carpenter bee boxes. Are carpenter bee boxes effective? The idea behind these boxes is this: they see the hole, fly in and get stuck in the jar. I was told to kill one and rub it on the holes and this would attract new bees to the carpenter bee box. This is a new strategy for me. I just bought 4 of these boxes and I am really hoping that they work – I think I need a few more.
2. Use a tennis racket. Hit them with the racket to reduce the population. I use a badminton racket and a broom.
3. Call the bug people. Our bug people came and treated all of our cedar with some type of chemical. First they killed the bees that were inside the tunnels and then sealed the holes. The bees don’t like the taste so they leave my cedar ceilings alone!

Or use pesticides. This will definitely kill those carpenter bees!

1. Spay into the hole at night (to prevent from being stung). Use Seven or Delta Dust.
2. Spray carburetor cleaner into the hole.
3. Spray WD40 into the hole.

And be very careful when around bees – Here is a great article so you don't get stung.

After you have killed all the bees seal up the holes. Plug carpenter bee holes with caulk the color of your structure.

We JUST had our cedar ceilings treated. The bees fly around and then fly away. Win win. I prefer the natural method of getting rid of carpenter bees.

I hope this has helped you in your quest for a better ‘bee free’ life. Your house will thank you. Check out my ‘Spring is Here – Get Your House Ready Post’ here. Our yards and house need a lot of love in springtime.

PS – Disclaimer – The bee in the photo is definitely not a carpenter bee. But, it is definitely a bee. haha