Best Bee Brothers Bee Blog

Mosquito Repellent Wristbands Keep the Mosquitos Away Is there anything better than enjoying the outdoors on a warm summer night? Those long, lovely twilight hours when the fireflies begin to show their lights. The neighbor kids are running and biking up and down the street. The smells of grills and bonfires mixed with fragrant summer blooms and fresh-cut grass. No matter where we live in the US, we can likely all envision this familiar scene. We can also feel the incredible frustration of being eaten alive by mosquitoes! Wouldn’t it be great if we could enjoy our favorite outdoor activities...

What is a Black Bee? Carpenter bees and bumble bees are often confused for one another. Both are approximately the same size and can be found in some of the same places, including your garden. If you see large black bumble bees in your yard, there are some easy tell-tale signs for distinguishing between the two.  Do Carpenter Bees Pollinate? Bumble bees are important pollinators and are one of the few bee species who can pollinate. Specifically, they are excellent buzz pollinators, which is the process of dislodging pollen from the flower by the vibrations of their flight muscles. Currently,...

Not All Polinators are Created Equal: The Honey Bee vs The Carpenter Bee “Isn’t it bad to kill bees?” This is a question our customers sometimes ask. The truthful short answer is yes. The world’s pollinators are in crisis. And without pollinators, our diets would be extremely limited. Traditionally, honey bees have been the largest pollinators. Within the past decade, their populations have suffered, in some areas by as much as 70%. Colony collapse disorder and certain chemical pesticides are known to be the culprits. The loss of bee pollinators would be catastrophic to the human population. Saving the honey...

Mosquito season seems to get longer each year. If those pesky bugs chase you back inside or have you reaching for a can of chemical repellent to enjoy the great outdoors – or your own backyard – you’re not alone. Luckily, a product to help keep the mosquitoes away doesn’t have to be in an aerosol can. Before the twentieth century when man-made chemicals were invented to repel bugs, humans used natural essential oils, which have been used for ages to keep mosquitoes at bay. Here are 5 natural oils used for repelling them: 1. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus: Oil...

Avoiding West Nile, Zika & Other Deadly Diseases When we hear or see a mosquito, our normal reaction is to be on the defense – ready to strike at any moment. And it’s no wonder. Mosquitoes are more than just pests whose bites leave itchy welts behind. Worldwide, mosquitoes have infected more people than any other living organism, leading to over 1 million deaths a year. Two of the most well-known mosquito-borne viruses that are cause for concern in the US are West Nile virus and Zika virus. West Nile came on the US radar about 20 years ago, though...