Best Bee Brothers Bee Blog — Prevent Carpenter Bees

Doesn’t it seem like every movie or magazine has an enchanting outdoor patio scene? Can’t you just picture the whole family gathered around a gorgeous reclaimed barnwood table, covered by a trellis dripping with flowering vines and vintage lighting? And then summer comes, and you realize that dream is thousands of dollars away and countless hours of work. But don’t let that get you down! You can still spruce up your garden area with some quick and easy tricks that don’t break the bank. Follow these tips to create your own magical garden. 1.  Clean up your yard. This is...

Should you use DEET or choose a DEET-free alternative to keep bugs at bay? The debate tends to be a hot one these days. First, a little history. DEET is the name for N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, an active ingredient in many insect repellents. It was initially developed by the US Department of Agriculture for the military and then was registered for commercial use in the US in 1957. DEET was one of the first chemicals widely used to protect against mosquitoes and, because of its effectiveness, has been a popular choice ever since. (1,2) This is an example of a product that...

Have you ever wondered about the brownish stains near carpenter bees’ nests? This unsightly stain is carpenter bee poop. Unfortunately, this unsightly stain is from carpenter bee droppings – to be blunt, carpenter bee poop. These stains are just another reason to treat those nests and prevent future carpenter bees from invading your home! Carpenter bees like to keep a clean nest. In order to do that, the females dig tunnels using their mandibles to vibrate against the wood grain to carve out small granules that resemble sawdust. Then the bees push out their excretions and the wood shavings to...

Why Carpenter Bee Sprays Don’t Work Imagine this... It’s a perfect summer afternoon and all you want to do is sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. As you relax into your cushioned lawn furniture, you suddenly hear buzzing. buzzzzz. buzzzzzz. buzzzzzzz. You try to ignore it, but the bugger is persistent. Soon one swat turns into a full-fledged hunt to eliminate the annoying pest -- a carpenter bee. In a rush of frustration you hop in the car and go to your nearest hardware store. You pick up a bottle that guarantees death to all pests, including the dreaded...

Pesticide - it’s a big word that can have an even bigger impact. These days ‘pesticide’ seems to be a catch-all word for any chemical we spray to get rid of insects or weeds. To be a bit more exact there are two main types of pesticides: herbicides and insecticides. Herbicides are designed for plant/weed intruders, while insecticides are used against unwelcome insects. Pesticides are classified by their chemical basis. The most common classifications are organophosphate, carbamates, miticides, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoids (Rohrich, 2017). The use of these pesticides can be different from product to product. Some kill the insect or...