How to Repel Carpenter Bees Without Pesticides
Tracy Teuscher
Why are carpenter bees so cool? These much misunderstood and beneficial bees are INCREDIBLE vegetable and crop pollinators that are often confused with the bumble bee.
They look very similar to the bumble bee, except they are larger and they have a "shiny hiney" instead of a "fluffy butt". (These are technical terms you can use to impress your friends.)
They are cavity nesters that set up housekeeping in dead wood. If dead wood of your house, shed or deck has not been sealed and or painted and caulked, how do they know the difference between "good dead wood" and "bad dead wood"? They just say, hey, this looks like a GREAT place to build a condo!
Here are some cool things about them.
Large bees with shiny black abdomens
Seek dead, unfinished wood for nests
Excellent vegetable pollinators
Hover close when you’re near the nest but they are all bark and no bite
They are solitary and gentle, males don’t even have stingers
Among the 30% of native bees that are cavity nesters
Thank you, carpenter bees making all vegetables, crops, flowers and sunflowers thrive!
Trying to keep them away without deadly pesticides?
They HATE peppermint oil. Give this recipe a try.
Get a very clean spray bottle (22 to 32 oz.)
Add 2 Tablespoons liquid castille soap (we use Dr. Bronners, or you can try Murphy’s Oil Soap.)
Fill with water
Add 10 to 20 drops of pure peppermint oil
Shake gently to mix, then spray on the areas where carpenter bees are trying to set up housekeeping
We just gave this recipe to our neighbor who had them trying to nest under the eaves of his shed. He said it worked like a dream, they moved out without being harmed, and it “smells like a candy cane!”
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