Carpenter Bee's

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Spider_Lily

Active Member
I have been out playing in the yard today.I saw 4 Carpenter bee's hovering around.Another sign of Spring.:)
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
Is that a different variety than the mason bees, Spider? I put up a 'nursery' for mason bees out by the garden.
 

Spider_Lily

Active Member
Is that a different variety than the mason bees, Spider? I put up a 'nursery' for mason bees out by the garden.

Could be I don't know.These drill hole's in wood, board's, they just hover around almost on you sometimes.My Dad would catch these with his hand's :eek:when we were kid's.He said they would'nt bite you.But I didn't catch one to see:).Their bigger than the bumble bee.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Staff member
The mason bee and the carpenter bee are two separate species. In the articles that came up on the search for carpenter bees, most were dealing with extermination or insect control, whereas the articles that came up for the mason bee were mostly on proliferation and augmenting or replacing the honey bee. I know out here in the west, we have been losing colonies of the honey bees and the wild bird shop I frequent sells mason bee larvae that you can put around your property. The carpenter bees are also pollinators, but it's possible their larger size and excavations in wood structures makes them a bit more odious to the humans.
 

Crabbergirl

Super Moderator
Staff member
I have tem all in our decks especially the upstairs decks. I hate to kill them but Tim says all he can see is the little B$#@&!^$ eating his hard work. LOL!
 

Spider_Lily

Active Member
LOL they will ruin thing's made of board's they love the older wood.But I still love to watch them.I try not to have to spray them until they decide to taste of my deck.LOL We just built a new deck the guy who built it said he used board's that have been treated with something the bee's do not like and want chew on.:)
 

RonsGarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
We can throw in the leaf cutting bees into this group.
I see their handywork on the leaves on one of my climbing rose bush!
They neatly cut out half circles out of the leaves, which they used to line tunnels, forming short capsuls as they move along in old wood.
Doesn't matter what kind of wood, or where, as long as it is soft and beginning to decay!
They even burrow in some of my pots what have holes on the side rather then underneath the pots.
They will pack in several capsuls per pot!
In the fall when I empty the pots of soil I carefully remove these capsuls and bury them in a well drained area in the garden!
 

latebloomer

Active Member
I have carpenter bees here in the forest too. They will only eat untreated wood. One of the best ways to stop them from nesting in your deck it to paint it.
The females which are bigger than the males DO sting. I was stung by a 3 inch female last year. Traumatic for someone with a bee phobia like me.
They do pollinate things tho so I try to live and let live.
 

Spider_Lily

Active Member
I love them though.Love to watch them hover along with you.I turned on a outside faucet this morning for the first time this spring.Two washed out of it onto the ground.:)
 


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