Carpenter Bees

 Tough, Destructive… and Some of Your Best Pollinators

🐝 Garden Pests | by Guy Saldiveri | March 10, 2026

The B‑52’s of the bee world!

Carpenter Bees: Tough, Destructive… and Some of Your Best Pollinators 

Carpenter bees are a tough one. They’re very prevalent and VERY destructive, but they’re also some of the best pollinators you have in your garden. 

I used to hang traps, but I found killing them was too detrimental—the pollination loss wasn’t worth it. And besides, they aren't harmful to anything but some old untreated wood. I know, I know—if that wood is a beam on your porch, it’s not just some old untreated lumber…

Depending on how bad they are, I either let them be or use a non‑lethal way to stop them.

Over time I’ve learned what actually works and what doesn’t.

🎨 Paint the Undersides

Painting or sealing the undersides of the wood they like to burrow into helps a lot. They strongly prefer raw or weathered wood. A good coat of paint makes the surface feel “wrong” to them.

🪵 Skip the Putty—Use Wooden Dowels.

Putty doesn’t stop them. They chew right through it.

⚠️ Skip the brown paper bag—fake hornets' nests are a myth—they don't work.

This is one you'll see in countless memes and online posts. People swear by it, but honestly, if it ever works, it’s accidental.

What does work:

• Buy a 2–3 foot wooden dowel
• Precut it into 1–2 inch long pieces
• Add a dab of wood glue
• Tap the piece into the hole
• Cut it flush (if needed) and paint over it if you want

It’s cheap, fast, and surprisingly effective. One dowel goes a long way.

🧠 Why Plugging Matters

The biggest issue isn’t the first-year hole—it’s that they use those burrows as nurseries and expand them every year. That’s when the damage gets serious.

Plugging the entrance forces them to move on. They may start another hole somewhere else, but at least it’ll be a first year burrow, which means far less damage.

⚠️ One Important Note

If you plug a hole while a bee is inside, it will simply chew a new exit hole. So make sure the bee is out before you seal it.

Setting up a small wildlife habitat in the yard could also help quite a bit with this little pest. Just keeping an untreated 2x4 in the little brush pile could be all you need to lure them away. 

Happy Gardening 🌱