What could be wrong with an attractive, compact, bushy peach tree? Plenty! Your tree could have the incurable bacterial phony peach disease (PPD).This disease came seemingly out of nowhere and first struck peach trees in Georg
28.06.2023 - 09:01 / southernliving.com
Gardeners know pollinators are essential, especially those industrious bees buzzing tirelessly in and out of squash blossoms and trumpet vines. But one kind of bee may wear your patience thin if you’ve discovered their handiwork: Carpenter bees! If you’ve found perfectly round ½-diameter holes drilled into your deck timbers, wood siding, mailbox posts, or outdoor furniture with a little sawdust beneath the holes, you may be housing these gentle bees.
Carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica) actually are fascinating native pollinators. They’re about ¾ to 1-inch long with shiny abdomens, not fuzzy back ends like bumble bees. They may look intimidating, but they’re docile bees who are more interested in going about their own bee business than in bothering you. “Carpenter bees are solitary. She’s a single mom who builds a nest and forages for her young,” says Keith Delaplane, PhD, professor of entomology at the University of Georgia. “She’s just trying to make a new generation.”
Keith Delaplane, PhD, is professor of entomology at the University of Georgia.
Ahead, here’s what else you should know about carpenter bees, as well as how to discourage them from nesting in and around your house if you don’t want to deal with their holes:
Are Carpenter Bees Dangerous?Social insects such as honeybees and some types of wasps live in huge colonies and will aggressively drive you off by stinging if you accidentally disturb their nests. (Read abouthow to keep bees away from your house andhow to keep wasps away from your home). But a solitary carpenter bee just wants to build a home for her family.
The bees emerge in the spring. “The females are discreet, sneaking in and out of their holes. But the males are territorial. You’ll see them hovering
What could be wrong with an attractive, compact, bushy peach tree? Plenty! Your tree could have the incurable bacterial phony peach disease (PPD).This disease came seemingly out of nowhere and first struck peach trees in Georg
A painted daisy is proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or rather, that you can’t judge an effective bug-killer by its beautiful blooms.We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If
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This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In our attempts to save the bees, many of us are
The goal for any sustainable gardener should be to create closed-loop systems—where the garden can be maintained without the need for many, if any, external inputs. In other words, wherever possible, we should aim to create a garden that can support and sustain itself over time.
Carpenter bees reside in the fascia boards, porches, and wooden decks by digging tunnels in them. While these pests don’t eat the wood instead they use the place as a nest and can be quite a nuisance if you don’t get rid of them. If you’re looking for methods on How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees Naturally then here are some best ways!
Brown marmorated stink bugs may have a funny name, but no one who has to deal with them is laughing. “They can be a significant issue for commercial growers and home gardeners in regions where the stink bug population is high,” says Jim Walgenbach, PhD, professor and extension entomologist atNorth Carolina State University. “All life stages of stink bugs can cause damage to foliage and fruit.”They feed on all kinds of plants, both edible and ornamental, but their favorites include peaches, apples, pears, pecans, tomatoes, peppers and sweet corn.
Whether you're mowing the lawn or hosting a cookout, the last thing you want to worry about is stinging insects such as wasps. But the truth is that wasps have a somewhat undeserved bad reputation. These insects actually do plenty of good in our lawns and gardens, and not all types of wasps are aggressive.
Whether you have a small suburban plot or a big, rambling yard in the country, chances are your garden attracts the resident wildlife. But if you’re tired of animals using your garden as a buffet, there are a few things you can do to reduce damage to a more tolerable level. “Nothing is foolproof, and there’s no one-size-fits-all technique,” says Michael Mengak, PhD, Certified Wildlife Biologist and professor atWarnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. “You’ll need to combine a few methods for the best results.”