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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Carpenter bees as pollinators

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  • From: Hilborn.E@epamail.epa.gov
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Carpenter bees as pollinators
  • Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:40:58 -0400

Carpenter bees commonly make holes in my outbuildings' 10 year old pine
rafters. This is the first year I have noted them in my blueberries,
but have never observed the flowers closely to check for damage after
they leave.

I also see these animals use holes made by other carpenter bees during
previous years. It makes me think that predrilled artificial holes may
serve to increase carpenter bee populations locally by offering nesting
sites, but I have not tried it yet.

Betsy Hilborn
7a NC

All I can say from long past holes found in our house, and present
holes in our barn, is that they love burrowing in oak timbers, which
are very hard when they are 100 years old. Haven't seen any sign of
damage in softer spruce/pine boards, but they might just like the
larger size of the old true 2x lumber.

-matt
z5 se MI

On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 10:07 PM, Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>
wrote:
> I wonder if carpenter bees would dig their holes preferentially in
soft
> easily worked wood like basswood, blocks of which could be hung up in
> more or less sheltered spots exposed to the outside. Does anyone have
> any experience which would shed light on this?
>
> I'm thinking of an analogy with the sacrificial metals which are used
on
> boats and ships for corrosion protection.
>
> Doug Woodard
> St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada





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