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bees #869361

Asked May 20, 2024, 7:51 PM EDT

In my community garden plot Gate, I have large bees going into 2 holes in my wooden gate. It's where I enter and exit. How do I get rid of them? I have a bad reaction to bee stings

Howard County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi, 

It sounds like they are carpenter bees and they are harmless/not aggressive. Solitary bees as opposed to social bees that will live in a hive together. Only the females have stingers and you most likely would have to trap them in your hands to actually have them sting you. They will be done filling the chambers soon and will move on. The larva will hatch over the summer and will slowly emerge from the holes. If you want to attract them to a space that is less used, you can put a block of untreated wood in an out of the way area and they should relocate to that space. It may not happen this year since they have already started nesting. 

You can refer to our information page on carpenter bees to learn about their life cycle and nesting habits. 

Emily

There are always Five bees flying around right in my entry gate. And since I have a very bad reaction to bee stings, I need a suggestion how to get them to go somewhere else or other options. Can you help me with this please?

Arlene 
The Question Asker Replied May 21, 2024, 1:31 PM EDT

Hi Arlene, 

We understand your concern with your medical reaction. The carpenter bees that are constantly hovering and not entering the holes are the male bees which do not have stingers and therefore can not harm you. 

The link we provided has management tips to deter them and seal up or treat the chambers which will kill the larva. There is not a pesticide that you can use to treat the male bees since they wont enter the holes. We have seen traps that people have built using homemade material or you can search online for premade ones. But as we said the males will not sting and the females are very docile so as a beneficial insect we would discourage you from killing them. 

Emily

Thank you for your help
Sent from my iPhone

On May 21, 2024, at 2:03 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:


The Question Asker Replied May 21, 2024, 6:53 PM EDT

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