Crafty Carpenter Bees
Carpenter Bees are a curious and crafty kind of bee. Although they are helpful bees in pollination, they are considered pests because of the damage they cause to the wood of homes and decks, and because of the painful sting of the females.
Carpenter bees make their nests in holes they bore into wood. These pinky-sized holes can be found in uncured wood siding, roofing, wooden decks or deck furniture, fencing, telephone poles, and wooden mailbox posts. At Entomology at the University of Kentucky they explain; “After boring in a short distance, the bee makes a right angle turn and continues to tunnel parallel to the wood surface. Inside the tunnel, about five or six cells are constructed for housing individual eggs.” Here are some images shared on their site:
Females lay eggs in the wood cavities, fill them with pollen, and cover the holes with sawdust. Extensive damage occurs when the same holes are enlarged and used year after year, leaving the wood susceptible moisture and rotting.
Another unsightly evidence of carpenter bees is illustrated at the NC State Extension site where they state; “The bees often eliminate their wastes before entering the tunnel. Yellowish-brown staining from voided fecal matter may be visible on the wood beneath the hole.”
Also, because woodpeckers want to lunch on the eggs in the galleries, you might be inviting another wood-destroying visitor who will cause even more damage. This crafty little bee can really create a nightmare for homeowners!
How to Recognize A Carpenter Bee
Carpenter Bees look a lot like bumble bees so it can be tricky to identify them. Carpenter bees have a black abdomen, while a bumble bee’s abdomen is covered in yellow hair. But when one is buzzing around your head, you are not likely to notice such detail. The best way to identify them is the presence of holes in the wood nearby.
What to Do If You Have Carpenter Bees
Because carpenter bees are so crafty, it’s nearly impossible to exterminate them without professional help. The best thing to do is to call Fox Pest Control at (855) FOX-PEST and we will send a trained and certified technician who will conduct a thorough pest control inspection of your home and property in order to provide a customized carpenter bee treatment plan that will be most effective for your situation.
Although your technician will not be able to do anything about the existing holes left by carpenter bees, they will be able to help keep future holes from being made when you start a Fox Home Protection Plan. Because this service has a warranty, we can return at no charge to take care of any new bees that mature after the initial treatment.
Fox Pest Control. No Bugs. Simply Better.
