Last Updated November 27th, 2022: Although carpenter bees are considered pests by many and can cause serious damage to the wood around your home, they still play a very important ecological role in our environment. But let’s take a closer look at are carpenter bees endangered?
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Carpenter bees are avid pollinators which means they help flowers and crops bloom and grow. This is extremely important to the overall health of our environment and plays a big part in the livelihood of humans as well as other animals.
There’s been a huge movement of “save the bees” and this generally refers to honeybees, but if carpenter bees are pollinators as well, then shouldn’t we also protect them?
Are Carpenter Bees Endangered?
Carpenter bees are currently not labeled as endangered, but their populations have been declining year over year due to pesticides, loss of habitat as well as lack of food sources.
Just because carpenter bees are officially labeled as not-endangered doesn’t mean we should ignore their declining population levels.
If you’re dealing with a carpenter bee infestation, I always recommend checking out our guide on how to get rid of carpenter bees without killing them!
Why Are Carpenter Bees Dying and Population Levels Dropping?
There are multiple reasons that carpenter bees and other bees like the honey bee populations are decreasing in North America and worldwide. The most common of these reasons are:
- Increased use of pesticides: For the past 20 years the world has relied on heavy pesticide use that has killed not only the pests they were targeting but any other pest that was nearby. This has killed a large portion of the overall bee population and it has affected carpenter bees and honey bees.
- Increased Parasites and Disease: The bee population have recently been ravaged by parasites and diseases such as “varroosis” which leaves the bees unable to fly or reproduce and soon leaves them dead. This can spread easily between individual bees, so it affects honeybees more because they live in large colonies compared to the carpenter bee.
- Cold Winters: The past 20 years have brought more sproadic weather in prime bee regions. This means the carpenter bee have had to survive longer and colder winters than usual, and it ends up killing many carpenter bees.
What Can Be Done For Declining Carpenter Bee Populations?
We as humans need to reduce the use of widespread pesticides that kill everything it touches. We need to use more targeted treatment options to help keep pests at bay but without killing other insects and animals.
How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Bees Without Killing Them:
Along with this, although the carpenter bee can be extremely annoying as a homeowner, you should attempt to deter carpenter bees by using citrus oil or putting up fake wasp nests rather than immediately attempting to kill them. In order to help protect the population levels, you should always focus on deterring or relocating rather than eliminating.
Bee Houses
These insects are constantly looking for a new home, which unfortunately can sometimes lead to your house or porch being damaged.
That being said, if you can convince them to build their nests in another location, then you won’t have damage to your property.
By building bee houses that are suitable homes for carpenter bees, then they won’t have the need to drill a new home in your porch. You can purchase a bee house or build your own. Rather than bee traps, these are going to be simple boxes attached to trees that allow safety from predators and the weather.
The RivaJam is designed for mason bees, but it is perfectly suitable for other species of bees as well.
Natural Repellents
Bees hate certain scents and will actively avoid areas where those scents are present. By simply having these scents near your porch and home you can keep these bees away from your home.
I’d suggest using scents such as garlic powder or citrus oil to keep them far away from your home.
Here are some safer repellents for carpenter bees:
- Using WD-40 For Carpenter Bees
- Using Vinegar For Carpenter Bees
- Soapy Water For Carpenter Bees
- Using Almond Oil For Carpenter Bees
Stop Using Dangerous Pesticides
Pesticides are extremely effective, which is good, but it’s a bad thing when they end up killing other insects other than the intended pest.
When pesticides are used at a large scale, bees get caught up in the effects and end up dying as they are just trying to do their job of pollinating.
If you are going to use pesticides, then use them in a very controlled and targeted manner.
Use Carpenter Bee Traps Rather Than Insecticides
We understand that carpenter bees can be nuisance pests and cause damage to your home. That being said there are ways to prevent carpenter bee damage without having to kill an unnecessary amount of carpenter bees or any additional insects as well.
We always recommend using carpenter bee traps, because this allows you to trap live carpenter bees and release them elsewhere. Along with this, even if you do decide to kill the carpenter bees you trap, it ensures that you’re only trapping the culprits who are damaging your home, rather than any nearby insect.
Here are our carpenter bee trap resources:
- 5 Best Carpenter Bee Traps To Protect Your Home!
- What To Put Inside A Carpenter Bee Trap
- How To Make A Carpenter Bee Trap
- Using Fake Wasp Nests For Carpenter Bees
Final Thoughts On Carpenter Bees Endangered Status
Currently, carpenter bees are not endangered, but their population is declining due to increased used of dangerous pesticides which are killing carpenter bees and other nearby insects which are beneficial to our ecosystem.
We here at ThePestInformer always recommend using non-pesticide based solutions to control your pest infestations. It’s healthier for our eco-system and our friends and family.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on are carpenter bees endangered and hopefully our solutions on non-pesticide treatment options was helpful to you!
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