Best Bee Brothers Bee Blog

Contrary to popular belief, carpenter bees do not eat wood! On the front of the female’s head is a set of large mandibles. With these she is able to vibrate against the grain of the wood and carve out a tunnel. After the female removes a bit of wood fiber, she pushes it out of the tunnel. Traces of wood shavings that look much like sawdust around the tunnel or directly below it are a telltale sign of a carpenter bee nest.   So what do carpenter bees actually eat? Like all other bees, they eat nectar and pollen.  Because of...

Bug Sprays, All-Natural Repellents & More! Summer is the best season to spend time outside, but pesky bugs chase many people away from enjoying outdoor activities like camping. It can be difficult to fully enjoy nature when you’re constantly swatting at bugs and scratching bites.  Fortunately, there are a variety of effective bug repellents that help keep those bugs at bay. From traditional DEET-based sprays to natural bug repellents and other mosquito-control solutions for camping, this list includes the best products to help you find the right repellent for your camping needs.  Bug Sprays Bug spray is the most common...

How Do Mason Bees Pollinate and How To Attract Them To Your Garden Mason bees are truly wonderful, gentle bees. Like carpenter bees, they are solitary bees, meaning they do not live in hives or colonies. Instead, a single female will build a nest in a pre-existing crevasse or a hollow stick. True to its name, the mason bee uses mud and other natural materials to construct its nest. The male mason bees die shortly after mating. The female mason bee will go on to lay her eggs in several different nests over the season.1 Mason bees are even better...

When Do Mosquitoes Come Out and When Do They Go Away Every year, the sign that mosquito season has started comes in the form of itchy red bumps on our skin. Mosquitoes are, arguably, the most annoying aspect of summer. We generally associate them with hot summer days. However, these insect enemies actually emerge sooner than the scorching days of summer. Depending on which state you live in, mosquitoes may buzz around for most of the year. The general rule of thumb is that mosquitoes exit hibernation once the temperature reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In the US, mosquito season in...

Do Carpenter Bees Keep Wasps Away or Vice Versa? During the carpenter bee season we get a handful of customers who experience wasps or hornets in their carpenter bee traps and aren’t sure what to do. These visitors are not that surprising but should be treated as unwelcome guests. While wasps aren’t deterred by the smell of carpenter bees, carpenter bees will fly away from the scent of a wasp.    If you notice a wasp fly into your carpenter bee trap, determine if it has been trapped in the bottom or is flying in and out of the upper...