Carptenter Bees

Carpenter bees are not just any ordinary bees. They may fly around and at first glance look just like a regular honey bee but they are disaster waiting to happen. If you see an increased number of carpenter bees around your home, you need to take action. These bees, like honey bees are vital to our ecosystem and agriculture, as they pollinate much of our nation’s farmland helping to yield fruitful crops. But no matter how beneficial these bees are in nature, they are a disaster if they decide to build a home too close to your home and you need immediate and professional help to get rid of them.

How to Identify

Carpenter bees look similar to bumble bees being about 12-22mm in size, however their abdomens are more covered in hair and the color patterns differ slightly with the same yellow face but carpenter bees having a more black, purplish or greenish colored thorax. They often give off a metallic appearance and their coloring is not as vibrant as the bumble bee. Unlike the bumble bee, this bee is not a social insect. They prefer to live a more isolated life and do not live in nests or colonies. These bees can sting you but only the female bees are capable of stinging. They are not aggressive but female carpenter bees do not lose their stinger when they sting so they can deliver multiple stings at a time if they feel threatened. Male carpenter bees do not sting but will become aggressive and act threatening to scare away predators. Once a female carpenter bee mates, she lays her eggs deep within the wood she has burrowed out and it won’t be long before an infestation occurs.

The Signs of an Infestation

Carpenter bees burrow into soft wood to find protection from the cold and wet winters. If they are able to find an entrance into your home, they will tunnell their way through the wood within your walls. This is especially dangerous since you will be none the wiser. Carpenter bees are usually able to keep their presence unknown since they are a quieter pest. Once homeowners become aware of their presence, the damage is usually done. Repairing the burrowing tunnels within your home can be costly but if you schedule routine, professional inspections with Pointe Pest Control, our technicians can easily spot a carpenter bee infestation as we are educated and experienced with the signs of their infestations. Here are a few signs to watch for:

Holes on the outside of your home
Wood shavings beneath these holes
Fan shaped marks around these holes
Scratching sounds coming within your walls

If you notice any of these signs you, need immediate professional pest control because these signs can lead to infestations of other pests as the carpenter bee creates an entrance for other pests to enter as well.

Treatment

Pointe Pest Control technicians will work with you to seal your home and find the entrance points these carpenter bees have used or created. A completely sealed home with preventative treatments employed means that carpenter bees have less of a chance of making your home their home too. It is vital to the structural integrity and safety of your home that you schedule year round pest control treatments and inspections as the signs of an infestation are subtle and often missed by busy homeowners. Call us today for the best pest control around.