It’s the time of year when carpenter bees that survived the winter have reemerged for the spring season. In our area of Texas, with warmer days, this can range from the end of February through October. Check around your property for the tell-tale signs of circular holes the carpenter bees will bore into wood structures. Left untreated, this damage can lead to costly repairs. Consequently, this affects the structural integrity of the infested areas in and around your home.
Many homeowners will confuse a carpenter bee with a bumble bee. An immediate distinction is a carpenter bee has a smooth, bare shiny upper part of the abdomen, while a bumble bee normally has a hairy abdomen with distinctive bands of black and yellow markings. Carpenter bees normally nest in wood structures, while bumble bees tend to nest in the ground. Still, a third difference between the 2 is carpenter bees are solitary insects living alone while bumble bees are social bees and live in hives.
Carpenter bees may look similar to bumblebees, but their nesting behavior can cause real damage to wood structures. According to the University of Kentucky Entomology Department, they bore into wood to create tunnels for laying eggs, which can weaken beams, fences, and eaves over time.
Inspect the eaves around your home, siding, and fascia boards but don’t just stop there. Including inspection window frames, wood decks, and fencing for small, circular holes, up to a 1/2” in diameter where carpenter bees have bored holes in wood structures. You may even see a carpenter bee hovering around the area.
Your Pest Professional must correctly identify the carpenter bee areas of infestation and apply the appropriate material and treatment method for elimination. Once you eliminate the carpenter bee issue, schedule the necessary repairs. Look where the carpenter bees are boring holes for their nesting galleries. Otherwise, carpenter bees will reuse old nests for years and cause further damage to wooden structures if you don’t repair them.
Carpenter bees commonly infest soft, unpainted, and worn wood
It is important to identify these areas and we recommend:
- Identification
- Repairing
- Sealing
- repainting
Ultimately, treatment should be a two-step plan where your pest professional and you as the homeowner must work together to keep carpenter bees from being a recurring issue.
A carpenter bee is a solitary insect and rarely stings. On the other hand, the damage they do to wood structures is the reason to be vigilant about inspections around your home.
If you suspect you may have a carpenter bee issue, call or contact Bio-Tech Pest Control at 281-296-6022.
