Repel Carpenter Bees Naturally With A Little-Known Essential Oil Trick

Seeing carpenter bees buzzing around your wooden deck is a frightening sight. Though these bees are helpful pollinators, they can do some serious damage to your property, eating away at and drilling holes in wooden structures. Surprisingly, you may be able to repel carpenter bees with a natural fragrance they can't stand. Eucalyptus essential oil is recommended by pest and lawn care blogs, as well as wildlife preservation sites, and it could make a difference for your home, too. Pest control experts have also been suggesting a DIY eucalyptus oil spray as a natural carpenter bee repellent. Georgios Liakopoulos, an expert with Fantastic Pest Control, explained to Homes and Gardens how Eucalyptus essential oil deters these frustrating bees. "The oils stop the bees from communicating and navigating," he said, suggesting tea tree and citrus oils as well.

There doesn't seem to be much scientific evidence supporting eucalyptus oil as a repellent for carpenter bees specifically. However, a 2021 study published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences found that eucalyptus essential oils were helpful for repelling mosquitoes from landing on your skin. This shows that eucalyptus essential oil can keep flying insects away. University extensions also sometimes recommend almond oil to keep carpenter bees from drilling into your deck, showing that essential oils can have an effect on the behavior of these pesky bees.

If you're looking for a natural method to prevent carpenter bees from hanging around your deck this spring and summer, it's worth a shot to try eucalyptus oil. To implement this natural hack, one easy option is to make your own spray repellent. Pest expert Georgios Liakopoulos told Homes and Gardens how to create a eucalyptus oil spray that carpenter bees don't like. "Make a spray bottle with essential oils, water, and dish soap. Mix it up weekly and apply it to nesting spots," he said. "Be sure to check the eaves, fascia boards, decks, and wooden furniture for signs of activity, and keep an eye out for entry holes, frass, and bee activity around nesting areas."

You'll likely need to use about 20 to 30 drops of your essential oil in your spray bottle. Creating a spray allows you to apply your homemade repellent directly onto the wood that these bees are attracted to. Try applying your essential oil repellent to wood decks and other surfaces in the spring before the carpenter bees make their nests. 

Unfortunately, if you find a carpenter bee nest in your yard, it may be too late to deter them. Since the essential oils are usually applied to possible nesting locations, oils might not be effective for spots where the bees are already established. If the eucalyptus oil isn't working on its own, try painting or staining your deck to make it less attractive to the bees.