Carpenter bees are large, black, and somewhat fuzzy bees usually hanging around your home. They are justly named because they drill holes in wood to have a place for their eggs.
What are carpenter bees?
Carpenter bees are large, shiny, black, and yellow bees. You will find them flying around the outside of your home, searching for wood. These bees live up to their name. They drill and bore into wood in perfectly symmetrical and tubular holes. Here they will lay their eggs.
- Carpenter bees love wood and prefer clean, untreated, and unpainted wood.
- Carpenter bees do not eat the wood like termites. They drill through the wood, and you may find sawdust near the opening of the holes.
- Females create these tubes or holes to lay their eggs.
- Carpenter bees look like bumblebees, but their bellies are shiny and hairless.
- Male carpenter bees do not have stingers; females do but do not use them unless threatened.
Are carpenter bees harmful?
Damage in wood fence from carpenter bees.
As a homeowner, you may have seen the telltale signs of carpenter bees and not realized what you were looking at. Carpenter bees create perfectly round holes in your deck, railing, or wooden furniture. They are large, shiny, black, and yellow bees. You will find them flying around the outside of your home, searching for wood.
These bees live up to their name. Female carpenter bees have strong, sharp teeth. They drill and bore into wood in perfectly symmetrical and tubular holes. Here they will lay their eggs. They do not build nests or hives.
Often confused with bumblebees, carpenter bees have a similar body type but are nowhere near as aggressive as bumblebees. Females can sting if threatened; males have no stinger. The male carpenter bee is most likely the bee buzzing around you, sometimes perilously close to your head and face. They are territorial and are sending you a message! Their stings can be painful.
How do I get rid of carpenter bees?
According to Pestworld.org, The most common signs of a carpenter bee infestation are the round, smooth holes that carpenter bees bore into wood. To identify early damage to buildings, homeowners should regularly inspect the perimeter of the home and surrounding property for the presence of these holes and hovering bees.
Since carpenter bees prefer bare wood, painting and staining wood can sometimes help deter them. However, they will occasionally attack stained or painted wood. To prevent carpenter bees from entering the home, seal cracks and crevices along the property’s foundation and walls with a silicone-based caulk, repair any tears in screens, and keep doors closed.
As with all bees, caution is recommended.
Bees play a vital role in our ecosystem and food cycle. Notwithstanding being a pest control service, we advocate preserving the pollinators such as honeybees or bumblebees.
Effective treatment begins with a thorough inspection of your home and property. If you attempt to treat or close the holes, the females can become trapped and will embark on creating a new tunnel expanding the damage. More tunnels equate to weakened structures and long-term damage.
We will assess the situation and determine the best method for treatment. Our technicians are trained to identify all types of bees and treat them accordingly. We are mindful of targeting the areas where the bees are present and avoid harming the balance of nature that bees and their pollination efforts provide.
Read more about our pest control services, and contact us if you see any bee activity around your home. Inspections are free, and treating bees regularly keeps you and your family, home, or business safe and healthy.
Resources UK College of Agriculture, pestworld.org
