Are you a homeowner, tired of bees drilling holes into the wood of your home?
Are you a gardener interested in biodiversity and supporting pollinator populations?
Maybe you're like me: Concerned about both issues.
Welcome to the world of carpenter bees! Carpenter bees are sometimes mistaken for bumble bees. Both
have large yellow & black bodies. But they are a little different. Besides the way they look,
they also have different habits. While bumble bees nest in the ground, carpenter bees bore
holes into wood. Often the wood in your deck furniture or trim boards of your home.
I discovered them living in the wooden fascia boards of my garage. Now the damage
caused by carpenter bees is more superficial than structural. So they won't eat away at your home,
weakening it like termites do. But they DO damage surface wood and you may even find their poop
sprayed down the walls of a building! Ack!!! At the same time, carpenter bees offer a valuable
service. All around the world, our pollinator populations are under attack. Certainly honey
bees have gotten the lime light. Small scale home bee keepers have stepped up to offer habitat.
In return, we get good fruit set and enjoy bumper crops! But honey bees
aren't the only pollinators out there. But what about carpenter bees? When they're
not perforating your wooden structures, they're rather busy tending to flowers. Just as busy as
honey bees, some carpenter bees may even be out when other bees are less active. And they
offer some one-of-a-kind services that smaller bees can't pull off. (more on that later).
So perhaps it's worth figuring out how we can live in harmony them!
But how can we control their pesky habits? Poison? Let's say NO to that. Sure, there are
ways to trap them by drilling a hole into a board and attaching a bottle. But how can they help you
in your garden? We just want to prevent them from damaging fascia boards and other such wood.
One recommendation is to use a thick coating of white paint. This might do the trick.
But paint fades and I wanted a more permanent protection. My solution was to wrap wooden trim
in aluminum coil. Many replacement windows are routinely installed with a covering of coil
stock. This protects wood from carpenter bees and from general weathering. No need to re-paint every
few years! That's how we addressed the soffit and fascia boards of my garage. We used a vinyl soffit
and wrapped the wooden fascia boards with coil. But wait!!! If all of my wood has been protected,
then where will live? How could I count on them to help out in my garden? The solution was simple. I
salvaged the OLD wooden fascia boards where they were already living. We trimmed them down and
built a little duplex that was already pre-stocked with tenants! Seven years later, these bees have
been thriving in their home, without damaging my property. I've even designed a carpenter bee
tiny-house for them to inhabit as well. I pre-drilled some holes to peak their interest.
But it seems that this dark heartwood cedar board is not as attractive as I'd hoped. They seem to
prefer older, less resistant wood. Regardless, I think we've reached... an understanding.
And let me show you a crucial service they render. Passion fruit. These passiflora
have some breathtaking blooms. But they also produce a tasty tropical smelling fruit. Well,
only if they're pollinated. Most sources will advise you to hand pollinate the flowers to
ensure fruit set. It's a mechanical challenge. How do we get the pollen from the stamen to this
stigma? A Q-tip!? I don't have time for this garbage! ... These guys got it covered! Their
fat fuzzy body rubs under the stamen picking up pollen. Then as they circle around the flower, the
pollen is transferred to the stigma. And viola! We get fruit set! In the first season growing
these vines, I had 40 or 50 fruit that set! Biodiversity builds a more resilient garden.
Sometimes we experience pests that we just need to eradicate. But I encourage you to consider
reclassifying carpenter bees. Rather than a pest, these guys have been true allies!
What have you been doing to bolster pollinator ranks in your garden?
Share your experiences in the comments. Please like and subscribe if you liked this video. I
hope you have a great growing season and as always I'd like to wish you Happy Gardening!