Best Bee Brothers Bee Blog

Despite their imposing size and capacity for swift, repeated stings, hornets and other wasps are not the top predators in their ecosystem. While these winged defenders of the nest are not to be taken lightly, there are myriad insects and animals that will gladly make a meal out of them given the chance. Let’s take a closer look at the hidden helpers keeping your backyard free of hornets and other wasps.  What Eats Hornets and Other Wasps? You might be surprised to find that despite the creatures’ fierce reputation, the list of natural predators for wasps is actually quite long....

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...

What does the word “incense” conjure up in your mind? If you’re imagining meditation retreats or religious ceremonies, you might be missing out on an effective insect repellent. The first incense coil – specifically designed to repel mosquitos – was developed in the early 1900s by two Japanese entrepreneurs, Eiichiro and Yuki Ueyama. While the shape of their product (see below) was different from traditional incense sticks, the overall makeup remained the same. Today’s standard mosquito coil. The active ingredient in the Ueyamas’ invention was pyrethrum paste, a substance derived from chrysanthemum flowers, used as an insecticide for centuries in...

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 are appealing to a searching carpenter bee. Once the carpenter bee enters the trap, the angled entrance holes minimize the light in the central chamber. The opaque bottom of the trap then becomes the largest light source and the carpenter bee flies down. Now the carpenter bee is truly stuck! Carpenter bees cannot fly directly up nor can they walk up...