You may have heard about carpenter bee houses from friends, social media or a store display as they're starting to garner more attention with environmental consciousness initiatives. These bee "homes" are a great alternative to carpenter bee traps -- or worse -- killing them with chemicals. Let's just pretend you're not even thinking about the latter let the alone the first one as neither are safe for the bees. So why do carpenter bees cause homeowners a headache and how do carpenter bee houses solve the problem without the use of chemicals or traps?
A Day in the Life of a Carpenter Bee
Carpenter bees are independent creatures that don't coexist in a colony the way honeybees or bumblebees do. Instead, they hibernate in bored wood tunnels in the winter and then mate in the spring. The issue many homeowners run into is when female carpenter bees are ready to lay their eggs. They bore tunnels into existing wood structures -- unfortunately, usually parts of your home. The female bees then lay eggs in these tunnels and seal them with mud till the younglings are ready to emerge in late summer. When the weather grows cooler, the new bees then hibernate in the holes like their parents only to begin the cycle again the following spring. Carpenter bees never use the same holes for more than one season so they bore new ones every year.
While carpenter bees are often associated with destruction, it’s lesser known they’re excellent pollinators. Their bare abdomens carry dry, loose pollen which pollinates flowers better than their honeybee counterpart's habit of wetting the pollen to stick to their feet. Also, carpenter bees are cross-pollinating experts as they travel from location to location rather than staying with one section of flowers at a time.
You want these bees to live quality lives doing what they do best but you as a homeowner also want to protect your own nest. So what can you do to let carpenters bees be and keep them from boring into your home season after season? The answer: carpenter bee houses.
How Carpenter Bee Houses Work
Carpenter bee houses are wooden structures with bamboo tubes without chemicals or treatment used in the manufacturing process. The tubes provide the same nesting environment for the bees as the tunnels they bore into nearby wooden structures. Install the houses about 5 to 7 feet high in an area near pollen-producing plants, protected from the wind and afternoon sun (so best to place them facing East).
Female carpenter bees lay their eggs in the holes and seal them with mud just as they do in the wild. Late summer, the new bees awaken and continue pollinating until cold weather arrives or growing season ends. They'll then use the tubes to stay in for the winter.
During the following spring, once last season's bees come out of hibernation, replace your carpenter bee house. Its bamboo tubes are vulnerable to pests and diseases, which are passed onto the larva. Keeping a fresh carpenter bee house each season results in healthy bees continuing to pollinate the gorgeous flowers that paint the great canvas that is our planet. What an enchanting image, right?
Carpenter bee houses are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $15-$30, depending on the size and model you choose. You can easily find them online or at your local garden center. A friend of mine even found one at Costco. Already have a carpenter bee house ready to go? Share your experience or a photo of your bee house in action on our Facebook page or tag us @luv_motherearth on Twitter or Instagram.