We all love our furniture, don’t we? Therefore, we want to keep our furniture as intact as possible. But what will you do if your furniture is teeming with carpenter bees? Carpenter bees can nest in your furniture and damage wooden surfaces.
Consequently, you will have to spend money to fix the furniture or perhaps get replacement furniture. However, why would you spend your hard-earned money when you can prevent the infestation of carpenter bees?
Don’t worry! You won’t necessarily have to kill them. Below, we will tell you how to get rid of carpenter bees without killing them.
Detecting Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are usually black, green, or purple. They are very similar to bumblebees; thus, it is important to distinguish their differences. These bees drill holes into wooden furniture and wooden walls.
Carpenter bees usually have six legs and two sets of wings. Because of their fuzzy yellow bodies, people typically mistake them for bumblebees. But carpenter bees have a bright and hairless back part.
Identifying Bee Infestation
To detect the presence of some carpenter bees, you need to look for some typical signs. But, how will you identify what you are dealing with?
Size Of The Bees
You can identify carpenter bees quickly because carpenter bees are giant and have hairless bright black bodies.
Hole Patterns
Carpenter bees drill perfect small holes in the woods, a sign of infestation. You can also hear sounds of chewing from the woods. Also, the male bees fly around the woods while the female bees drill inside.
Ways of Getting Rid of Carpenter Bees Without Killing Them
Protecting your beloved furniture and wooden structures is essential to prevent carpenter bees’ infestations. However, there are some natural and chemical remedies that you can use to get rid of carpenter bees without harming them.
Now that we are done with the basic information about carpenter bees, we will learn how to get rid of them without killing them.
Here are some ways that will help you get rid of these bees.
- Playing Loud Music
Carpenter bees are very susceptible to noise. So, playing loud music is an effortless way to get rid of them. This method will stimulate vibration in the wooden structure and drive them away. But it cannot be guaranteed that the bees will not return.
2. Using Almond Oil
Almond oil is a natural remedy for homemakers to drive out carpenter bees. First, you have to drop some almond oil inside the tiny holes dug by bees. These bees are sensitive to the smell of almond oil.
That is why the intense fragrances of the oil will drive them away. You can repeat this procedure if the bees come back.
3. Replacing Softwood with Hardwood
Carpenter bees drill holes into softwoods because they are easier to dig into. So, you can replace softwood with hardwood which will decrease the risk of an infestation.
Carpenter bees will stay away from hardwood as the surfaces of such wood structures are relatively more challenging for bees to make holes in.
4. Using Bee Baits
Bee baits can attract carpenter bees and lure them out of their holes. These baits can be used for driving them out of their holes. Bee baits are usually chemical solutions such as hydrogen peroxide and boric acid.
5. Applying Natural Spray
You can make a natural spray using white vinegar and garlic. This spray will keep carpenter bees away from the wooden structures. After the effects of the natural spray wear out, you can spray again to drive the bees away.
Conclusion
Carpenter bees‘ infestation is a horror for every household. They destroy wooden furniture and wooden structures. Severe infestations can incur a lot of loss. In addition, the buzz of bees is not a pleasant sound when it comes from the inside of your wooden furniture.
You can resort to the ways mentioned above to prevent these infestations without killing the bees. These remedies will help you drive the carpenter bees away from your furniture. If you have read the ways thoroughly, you will know how to get rid of carpenter bees without killing them. Good luck!
