Bees or wasps or something else?

Some creatures that look like somewhere between a honey bee and a small wasp has made its home, along with its mates, in my garden bench.

They are actively digging into the wood, to the extent we see streams of wood dust coming out of the holes. The residents have also been witnessed carrying in pieces of leaf.

They appear to be totally non-hostile to us, even when the kids are watching from a few inches away while the bees/wasps work.

What might they bee?

 

Carpenter bees ?
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...ved=0ahUKEwiM4o_5kIDOAhWsCsAKHYSKB1wQ_AUIBigB

 

Possible, but ours are stripey. Not as stripey as a wasp, and slightly more hairy than a wasp, but more slender and less hairy than a bumble.

 

Actually just saw one again. They are not as stripey as I'd remembered, so quite possibly carpenter bees.

 

Hi Clueless can you get a picture of one, more than likely they will be carpenter bees, lots of different species according to Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee

 

Perhaps Leafcutter bees Clueless?

 

Just Googled them. Looks like a prime candidate based on appearance and description of behaviour.

 

It sounds like they're setting up home in your bench, will you leave them to it?

 

Leaf cutters I bet.
As I type one is taking leaf sections into the underside of a small table in my conservatory.
Its putting them into the holes, where the screws go, that hold the top on.

Dont bother me, I kind of like the little sods, but not quite so much when they dig the compost out of the bottom of my cactus plants and start building cells in there.

 

If they continue to be as peaceful as they have been so far then I have no beef with them.

I would like it if they'd refrain from eating my bench, but as I can't speak their language I can't ask them nicely, and I'm not really willing to ruin, or even end their lives, just for the sake of a bench. So they'll be left alone.

Presumably they'll move out or die off naturally are the end of the year? That being the case I could apply some kind of preservative after they've gone, to prevent their friends coming back.

 

They will probably have overwintering cells in your bench @clueless1 , so applying preservative might be a killer?

 

How can I save my bench without harming them? Is there a way to encourage them to move out?

 

Dunno really.
If you applied something like danish oil it might be ok.
I'm pretty sure its not toxic as its used on kitchen work tops.
But only guessing.

 

I would put this as close to the bench as you can, a ready made nest for them, hopefully they will use it.
http://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk...;103993;5253&gclid=CP2CirW2gM4CFYIW0wod_PgKvA