Beneficial Bees for the Garden

Posted by Trevy Thomas Apr 25, 2009

My yard has been bombarded with bees lately; so much so that I'm having a hard time believing there's really a problem with the bee population. I'm not sure if any of mine are honey producers, but I've definitely got wasps as well as some very feisty carpenter bees.

Shortly after arranging new patio furniture, I settled into my comfy chair to combine work with the great outdoors. In a matter of minutes, a crew of very large, loud carpenter bees began to stare me down in an angry manner. The dog tried to help get them away from me, but after a while, even she gave up.

Determined to get rid of this annoying problem, I did a little research. What I found was that carpenter bees, which look like bumble bees only without the yellow belly, are fabulous pollinators. Since we are growing an organic vegetable garden near the deck, as well as some flowers, I decided I could use a little pollination.

As long as they don't tear the house down (which is made of their favorite material - wood), I'm going to try to tolerate these beneficial bees. So far, everything is intact, including my sanity. Mostly.