Well, they feed on nectar and pollen, so they pollinate. That's about the extent of their beneficial impulses. They excavate holes to live in, usually in expensive decking or the tallest eaves of a house (all bees are not "nice"). Feel free to get rid of them--it's your deck or them .
You can always seal up their holes with wood putty. If they escape, make sure they don't take their tools with them. Jerry
My motto is that all the animals and things are wonderful till they start getting into my business. If that happens, Watch out. Don't eat my veggies or eat my wooden house cause I git revenge, most of the time. Barb in Pa.
Hello Donna-- I personally find this sort and other solitary bees helpful with the pollination of my flowers and especially fruit trees. MG has already pointed this out. In fact, I have made some "bee hotels" which I place in the flower garden and near the fruit trees. I wonder if you made a few "bee hotels" and placed them somewhere else or in the vicinity of your already busy bees that maybe they would choose your already drilled-out "hotel" holes. To a human brain, it seems like much less work, since the holes would be already to go for them and they could spend more mating, laying eggs and filling the tunnels...but then they do not have human brains, but who knows, sometimes tricks like this work in gardening. For instance, if you want to grow brassicas but have a lot of trouble with the cabbage white butterfly laying eggs on the leaves, then you can plant a rack full of nasturtiums nearby and the butterflies will choose them over your brassicas. I have seen it with my own eyes. Of course when it comes to the destruction of your property it is understandable that you want to.....no, MUST take steps to put an end to the boring. Perhaps placing a bee hotel or two and sealing the present holes will attract them away from their holes. If not then you may well have top exterminate them as much as you may not want to. Good luck with these little woodworkers.
I had this problem. Read the post Carpenter Bees appeared that's listed at the bottom of this post. WD 40 sprayed in the holes work if you need to be rid of them. dooley
Oh NO! now I have ground bees in my garden. Don't like dancing around in the garden. I step on to many plants. When they calm down I'm going to sprinkle seven dust around area. Any other advice. OUCH, OUCH, OUCH
