If you’ve noticed large, shiny black bees hovering around the wooden eaves of your house, you likely have carpenter bees. They can be startling, but they are also important pollinators. This guide will show you how to get rid of carpenter bees without killing them using humane, effective methods that protect both your property and these beneficial insects.
It’s crucial to understand the difference between carpenter bees and their look-alikes. Carpenter bees are large, often an inch long, with a smooth, hairless abdomen. They are solitary bees that bore perfectly round holes into soft, untreated wood to create nests for their young. Unlike termites, they do not eat the wood. Male carpenter bees are the ones that hover aggressively near nests, but they lack a stinger and are harmless. The females can sting but are very docile and rarely do so unless directly handled.
How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees Without Killing Them
The core of humane removal involves making your property unattractive to carpenter bees and encouraging them to leave on their own. Killing them should be a last resort, as they are declining pollinators. The goal is to persuade them to nest elsewhere, not to eliminate them.
Why Choose Humane Removal?
Carpenter bees play a significant role in pollinating many flowers and crops. Their unique “buzz pollination” technique is vital for plants like tomatoes and eggplants. By choosing non-lethal methods, you protect local ecosystems. Furthermore, killing bees often leaves behind larvae and pheromones in the tunnels, which can attract woodpeckers who cause far more damage digging them out.
Step-by-Step Humane Removal Process
1. Locate and Identify Active Nests
Watch for bee activity in the early morning or late afternoon. Look for the classic, half-inch wide, perfectly round entry holes. You might also see light-colored sawdust piles (called frass) on the ground below. Listen for a faint buzzing sound within the wood. Mark these active holes with a small piece of chalk or tape.
2. Encourage Vacancy with Non-Toxic Repellents
After dark, when the bees are inside and less active, apply natural repellents to the entrance holes. This encourages them to find a new home. Never seal a hole while bees are inside.
- Citrus Spray: Boil citrus peels (lemons, oranges, limes) in water for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool, strain, and pour the liquid into a spray bottle. Spray directly into the hole and on the surrounding wood. Carpenter bees dislike the strong citrus scent.
- Almond Oil: This is a highly effective, natural repellent. Soak a cotton ball in pure almond oil and place it just inside the entrance hole using a long stick or tweezers. The scent is a strong deterrent.
- Loud Noises/Vibrations: Playing loud music or vibrating the wood near the nest for a couple hours a day can annoy them into leaving. This method is less reliable but worth a try for easily accessible nests.
3. The Wait and Watch Period
After applying repellents, observe the holes for 24-48 hours. You should see a significant decrease in activity. If bees are still coming and going, reapply the repellent for another night or two. Patience is key here; you want to ensure all adults have left.
4. Seal the Empty Tunnels
Once you are confident the nest is vacant, it’s time to seal it to prevent reuse. This is a critical step.
- Use a flexible wire to gently probe the tunnel to ensure it’s empty. Be careful not to damage the wood further.
- Fill the entire tunnel with a material like steel wool, aluminum foil, or a specially designed wood filler putty. Pack it in tightly.
- Seal the entrance hole with exterior-grade wood putty or a wooden dowel coated in wood glue. Sand it smooth once dry.
Proper sealing prevents new bees from smelling old pheromones and choosing the same spot.
5. Paint or Stain Your Wood
Carpenter bees strongly prefer bare, untreated wood. A good coat of paint or a solid stain is one of the best long-term deterrents. Pay special attention to end grains of boards, window trim, and eaves, as these are prime targets.
Prevent Future Carpenter Bee Problems
An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say. Making your home less inviting is the best long-term strategy.
- Use Hardwood: For new construction or repairs, choose hardwoods like maple or oak, which carpenter bees avoid.
- Install Decoys: Hang untreated pine or cedar wood blocks away from your house (e.g., on a fence post). These act as sacrificial traps, giving bees a preferred place to nest that isn’t your home.
- Regular Inspections: Check your property each spring for new holes. Early detection makes humane removal much easier.
- Apply Preventive Sprays: Natural citrus or almond oil sprays can be applied to vulnerable wood surfaces in early spring before bees start looking for nest sites.
What to Do About an Aggressive Swarm
While rare, a nest that has been used for several years can become large and house multiple bees. If you feel the situation is beyond a simple DIY approach, contact a local beekeeper or a pest control company that specializes in live removal. They have the tools and experience to relocate the bees safely. Avoid companies that immediately recommend pesticieds.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sealing Holes Too Early: This traps bees inside, where they may chew out new exits, causing more damage, or die and create odor problems.
- Using Pesticides Unnecessarily: Most pesticides are not selective and will harm all insects, including beneficial pollinators like honeybees and butterflies.
- Ignoring the Problem: While carpenter bees work slowly, years of renesting in the same area can cause significant structural weakening over time.
FAQ: Your Carpenter Bee Questions Answered
Do carpenter bees sting?
Female carpenter bees posses a stinger but are very reluctant to use it. Males, who are often seen hovering, cannot sting at all. They are generally not a threat unless provoked.
What’s the difference between carpenter bees and bumblebees?
Bumblebees are fuzzy all over, including their abdomen, and they nest in the ground. Carpenter bees have a shiny, hairless black abdomen and nest in wood.
Are carpenter bees good for anything?
Yes! They are excellent native pollinators. Their method of vibrating flowers (buzz pollination) helps produce fruits and seeds for many plants, including wildflowers and some vegetables.
When is the best time to deter carpenter bees?
The ideal time is in early spring, just as the weather warms. This is when new adult bees emerge and start looking for nesting sites. Applying deterrents then is most effective.
Will wood filler alone keep them out?
Not usually. It’s essential to pack the tunnel first with a physical barrier like steel wool before sealing the hole. This prevents them from easily chewing right back through the soft filler.
Can I just pressure wash them out?
No. High-pressure water can severely damage wood and is unlikely to remove all bees. It is not a recommended or humane method for dealing with these insects.
By following these steps, you can successfully protect your wooden structures while respecting the role carpenter bees play in our environment. It takes a little patience and observation, but the reward is a bee-friendly garden and an intact home. Remember, the goal is coexistence, not eradication. With the right preventative measures, you can enjoy a carpenter-bee-free house and still support your local pollinators.