Bees are the most beneficial garden pests that help in pollination. There are different types of bee species. Carpenter bees are the largest bee species that can bite their enemies ferociously when threatened or disturbed. In this article, we will discuss, are carpenter bees beneficial and how these insects can be identified.
Are Carpenter Bees Beneficial?
Bee species are always beneficial to the environment, they will chase and bite humans when they are disturbed. Like other species, carpenter bees also play a vital role in the pollination of plants, gardens, and crops.
Carpenter bees are Buzz Pollinators i.e., these species have larger thorax that they can vibrate the flowers quickly when landed. These species can pollinate eggplants, nuts, seed crops, and flowers.
Though they are beneficial to the environment, they have a bad habit of munching on woods to make their nest stronger. These bees can chew wooden properties when they are present in your home.
How to Identify Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees are stinging insects that can grow from half to one inch, and they look like bumblebees. The only difference between bumblebee and carpenter bees is these species have larger and shiny abdomen tops.
Unlike other bee species, carpenter bees can chew wood and they prefer decayed wood more than newly painted wood. It is difficult to identify them because they are very careful in hiding inside the wood.
Male bees would be more aggressive, but they do not have stingers, but female bees have painful stingers, and they use only when needed.
How to get rid of Carpenter Bees in your place?
Though they are beneficial to the environment, they are harmful to the properties in your home. They can cause severe structural damage and it is hard to find the pest infestation. Here are some of the DIY tips to avoid the presence of carpenter bees.
- Remove and replace the decayed or damaged wood with chemically treated lumber
- Maintain all the walls and seal all the cracks and gaps in the walls, pillars, doors, and widows.
- If you find the bee nest, prepare a spray using vinegar and soap water and spray around your home and in the nest too.
- You can use the bee trap available in shops, purchase a product that is designed particularly for carpenter bees. Place the trap near any decayed wood.
- Carpenter bees do not like the sound, so having a home theatre or speaker in your home will help you to avoid the presence of carpenter bees.
Conclusion
Like other bee species, the carpenter bees are also beneficial to the environment in polluting plants, flowers, and seeds. I hope that this article will be helpful to understand the question “are carpenter bees beneficial?” Though they are good they can cause severe structural damage, and we have provided some of the DIY methods to get rid of them.
If you cannot follow the DIY methods, try to hire a professional pest control service at the early stage of infestation. Because the damage will be high if the population and infestation grows.