![]() ![]() If you would like more information on the best carpenter bee control in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia regions, please contact us.One of the larger bee species that can be found in North America, the Carpenter bee is also one of the more interesting. In the fall, the galleries can be filled and painted or stained to deter activity from new bees the following spring. ![]() It is completely normal to continue to see some activity from carpenter bees after the initial treatment. Sometimes more than one application can be anticipated during peak months, but the goal is always to treat the nesting areas. Professionals from American Pest are trained to inspect for breeding sites and will treat the galleries where larvae are developing. Post-treatment holes and galleries may be sealed with caulk or wood filler and repaintedĬarpenter bees are best dealt with in the springtime. When carpenter bee infested wood cannot be replaced, pesticide applications can be targeted to individual nesting galleriesĤ. Maintain all painted surfaces, making sure to pre-fill nail holes and cracks with caulkģ. Remove and replace damaged wood with pressure-treated or chemically-treated lumberĢ. Your best defense against carpenter bees is prevention by maintaining wooden surfaces all year long:ġ. They generally only become a nuisance when they make their nests inside wood siding, fascia boards, wooden patio furniture, along with privacy fencing, the undersides of decking, children’s swing sets, and other “attractive” wooden structures. They excavate new tunnels in wood for egg laying, or enlarge and reuse old onesĬarpenter bees are beneficial pollinators and pose a limited sting threat.The entrance hole in the wood surface is perfectly round and about the diameter of your little finger.Carpenter bees do not live in colonies like honeybees or bumblebees.Female carpenter bees can inflict a painful sting only if they are handled or bothered by people.Tip: If you discover coarse, sawdust-like material collecting on surfaces, you might have a carpenter bee problem. Generally preferring wood that is either unpainted or weathered, the female carpenter bee will return to the same nesting site year after year. She alone is responsible for grinding her mandibles against the wood to chisel out nearly perfect dime-sized entrance holes and 6-8 inch galleries in which to lay her eggs. The female carpenter bee prepares a nest for her young unlike no other and the seriousness of her mission wouldn’t be complete without a tool-belt fit for a woodworker! Look high and low for this telltale sludge in an effort to locate carpenter bee nesting sites. In some cases, a power washing doesn’t even come close to cleaning carpenter bee poo! Discovering yellow-brown stains on the side of your home, however, is a good indicator that a carpenter bee problem exists. Male carpenter bees don’t sting! Still can’t get out of the way fast enough? Try tossing a small object away from you – interestingly enough, the carpenter bee has a foolish eye for almost anything that moves.Įver notice yellow-brown smatterings on the siding of your home, perhaps beneath the gutter or under the eaves? This mess is caused by carpenter bee feces, and it is incredibly difficult to remove. Shiny, black in color, and resembling a large bumblebee, the adult male carpenter bee “hovers” while he patrols an area seeking a suitable female mate.Ĭurious in nature, it’s not unusual for the male carpenter bee (upon discovering you within his territory) to fly in and hover only inches from your face. It’s what carpenter bees do, second to springtime pollination. Hovering and dive-bombing in the name of love. A strong contender for most loathed springtime enemy in the DMV, these three simple truths about carpenter bees may actually surprise you. Big, bold, and buzzing-three innocuous words describing the frightening and seemingly “aggressive” force behind the Carpenter bee. ![]()
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