The good news is that male Carpenter Bees do not sting and females tend to hide from people. The bad news is that they can do extensive damage to the outside wooden parts of your home, including window and door frames.
Carpenter Bees tend to come back every year to the same nest sites (i.e., the holes they tunnelled into your home), so ignoring the problems will not make it go away. As with most other pests, Carpenter Bee control should begin immediately.
Recognizing Carpenter Bees
Carpenter Bees need treatment that differs from other bees since they do not live in colonies. Fortunately, Carpenter Bees are easy to distinguish from other bee species. Similar in appearance to Bumblebees, Carpenter Bees have a striped thorax with a shiny black abdomen, like a beetle.
Recognizing Carpenter Bee Damage
The first sign of Carpenter Bees (excepting males flying around your yard) will be a strange pile of sawdust near the nest site. An indication that Bees have begun to tunnel into your home, deck, etc., your best bet at this point is to call a professional to check if the damage is, indeed, from Carpenters (it could be Termites!).
The Best Time to Treat for Carpenter Bees
The best time to start Carpenter Bee control is in the early spring, before tunnels have been drilled for their eggs. At this point it is still possible to block up the hole with filler, either stopping them in their tracks or discouraging them from coming back.
Using pesticides without professional guidance can be dangerous. Learn more about keeping your family safe and your yard free from bees at Viking Pest Control.
