Best Bee Brothers Bee Blog — About Carpenter Bees

A very common thing we here from customers is that they have been trying attract carpenter bees, typically away from their house, using sugar water. Does sugar water really work, or is it just another overhyped myth? Are carpenter bees even attracted to sugar? We’re going to answer all that and more.

While nature rarely bestows a vengeful disposition on any of its creatures, you might be surprised to find that there are a few natural predators of the carpenter bee, if not exactly outright enemies.  Carpenter Bee Predators  If you thought carpenter bee damage was limited to the proportion of how much chomping they can do boring their tunnels and nests into the wood siding of your home (among other places), think again! Though not necessarily their fault, carpenter bees invite even more structural damage to your home by their mere presence.  Let’s explore why... Carpenter bees attract pesky woodpeckers which...

The Queen Carpenter Bee: Mating and lifestyle differences between honeybees and carpenter bees. When someone mentions bees, the image of a large honeycomb bee hive with a big queen bee probably comes to mind. It’s no wonder then that honey bees are probably the most talked about and most popular of all the bee species. And for good reason - we love the honey and wax they produce and have been studying their intricate colonies for ages. In recent years, the growing research validating the vast importance of the honey bee in pollinating our crops to make more food has...

Where Do Carpenter Bees Live in Winter? For those who are afflicted by carpenter bees, they seem to be a constant annoyance all spring and summer. But where do they go during the cold winter months? You may be surprised to learn that carpenter bees hibernate in their nests during the winter. Carpenter Bee Winter Hibernation Habits As spring begins, so does the life cycle of a carpenter bee. Young adult carpenter bees emerge from their hibernation ready to mate, and create a new nest all their own – this is the best time to hang your carpenter bee trap!...

Do you need carpenter bee trap bait?  A carpenter bee will approach our carpenter bee trap when they are looking for a new nest. This typically occurs in the spring. The unfinished softwood exterior and specifically sized entrance holes appeal to a searching carpenter bee. Once the carpenter bee enters the trap, the pheromones and sounds of the bees lure more bees away from your home and wooden structures and into the trap. Now the carpenter bee is truly stuck! Carpenter bees cannot fly directly up, nor can they walk up the plastic components in the trap. The carpenter bee will...