HOW MUCH DAMAGE CAN CARPENTER BEES CAUSE?

WHAT ARE CARPENTER BEES?

Carpenter bees are sometimes mistaken for the common honey bees but they differ in many ways. For starters, honey bees are usually known as “social bees” while carpenter bees are independent bees that prefer to be more antisocial. These bees are normally overlooked by the average homeowner. The homeowner that does know of carpenter bee damage and how troublesome they can actually be. The male carpenter bees do not have a stinger, unlike honey bees. Carpenter bees will aggressively fly towards you repeatedly if they feel threatened. Carpenter bees do have a bad habit of creating nests in the wood of your home.

HOW TO IDENTIFY CARPENTER BEE INFESTATION?

The carpenter bee infestation’s signs are easily noticeable with little vigilance. The most obvious sign of carpenter bee infestation is the presence of these bees themselves, congregating in a place especially near the structures, attics, crawl space, roofline, wooden structures, or under porches. However, there are other noticeable signs as well.

The signs of a carpenter bee infestation are:

• There will be entrance holes in the wooden furniture or wooden surfaces. 
• The presence of sawdust especially under the wooden structures where they have drilled the holes. 
• The presence of pollen and also bee excrement. 
• The presence of a lot of insects around the house. 

These are the common signs of carpenter bee infestation. The presence of carpenter bees is also noticeable with slight vigilance. Therefore, the damage can be prevented.

THE DAMAGES OF CARPENTER BEES?

Carpenter bees preferably live in soft trees or reed-like plants with a soft interior. But, they do not discriminate in living in the wood of your home. While sometimes mistaken for termites, carpenter bees do not eat the wood they just simply like to nest inside of it.The bees leave holes in your decks, porches, sheds, steps, and fences. They usually target unpainted and weathered wood. The one that is making the holes are the female bees. You can tell if you have carpenter bees if the size of the hole is about the size of a nickel. If you can want to reduce the problem then wood stains and seals can offer a little protection. When the bees make a nest they tunnel a hole that is about one to two feet in length. When the bees find themselves in a beam it could weaken the beam and cause it to warp. If left untreated it could possibly fall apart. If carpenter bees are able to tunnel on a porch or balcony then it could possibly give way. If the bees are able to come back every year then the damage gets worse and worse each time. Not only do they come back every year, but when the offspring come back they add a new entry point and a new nesting area to the already suffering structure.

HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM?

A good way to get rid of carpenter bees is by using carpenter bee traps. A carpenter bee trap is simply a wooden block with a pre-drilled hole that is attached to a glass jar or a plastic bottle. The bees discover the hole and lay eggs inside of it once the bees all go in the hole and they get confused and can’t find their way out. Once they are all gone make sure to seal the holes with something so that they are not able to come back. It’s best to fill the hole with a stick or hire someone to close or fix the damage that the bees have done.