Carpenter bees

It’s the time of year where carpenter bees that survived the winter have reemerged for the spring season. In our area of Texas, with warmer days, this can range from end of February through October so be sure to 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 to the structural integrity of the infested areas in and around your home.

Many homeowners will confuse carpenter bees for bumble bees. An immediate distinction is carpenter bees have a smooth, bare shiny upper part of the abdomen while bumble bees normally have 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. A third difference between the 2 is carpenter bees are solitary insects living alone while bumble bees are social bees and live in hives.

Inspect the eaves around your home, siding and fascia boards but don’t just stop there. Inspecting 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 the carpenter bee issue has been eradicated, plan on having repairs done where the carpenter bees have been boring holes for their nesting galleries. If not, old nests can be reused for years by carpenter bees causing further damage to the wooded structures.

Soft, unpainted and worn wood is even more susceptible to carpenter bee infestation. It is important to identify these areas and we recommend:

• Identification
• Repairing
• Sealing
• repainting

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.

While carpenter bees are solitary insects and rarely sting, 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.