Eastern Carpenter Bee - Deterrence

Deterrence

Pollinator decline is a serious environmental issue and carpenter bees are being valued increasingly as important pollinators.

The eastern carpenter bee is faithful to its home, preferring to lay eggs in the same hole it was born in and hibernated in. Females who leave the natal tunnel prefer to live nearby, often digging a new hole a few inches away in the same piece of wood. Over many years, the bees may almost completely hollow out a single board, or a few boards, without ever touching adjacent pieces. Thus, carpenter bee habitations tend to remain in one area. Because each female produces only a few young bees each year, their numbers grow slowly.

Wood is sometimes stained or painted (paint being more effective) to dissuade carpenter bees from attacking valuable wood, as bare wood is very inviting to a bee looking for a place to start a new nest. Painted flashing or screening on the edges of wood is sometimes used when paint alone fails. However, X. virginica will nest in almost any soft wood, particularly if it is exposed to the sun. Blocking or poisoning nests can be ineffective, as, since previous nests are the primary nests each year, the carpenter bees are encouraged to bore new nests. Over time the burrowing of these new holes may weaken structures. Sometimes people set out sacrificial pieces of bare wood to be used for nests in the place of more valuable wood.