Carpenter Bee Treatment
How Do I Identify A Carpenter Bee Infestation?
Appearance - There are two primary types of carpenter bees in North America, large and small. The larger bees are more often the ones causing damage for property owners and are slightly less than an inch in size. They are often confused with bumble bees due to their size and hairy upper bodies. The carpenter bee has a black, shiny lower body, unlike a bumble bee which has a hairy bottom.
Behavior- Carpenter bees hollow out wood to form their new homes, often in the wood siding of your home. It is not uncommon for carpenter bees to use pre-existing tunnels rather than create new ones. Often damage occurs above the first level of your residence in the form of perfectly shaped holes in the siding. Carpenter bees do not eat wood and will leave wood bits and dust behind as a sign of their current residence in your walls where they will seek shelter and have their young. Male carpenter bees will not sting but are known to aggressively “dive bomb” perceived threats to the nest.
Why Could I Have Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees seek out dry wood to live in. The wood of house siding, door trim, and window sills are good homes, as well as many other worn or unpainted wooden surfaces. carpenter bees set their sights high, so if you live near or own a home that has multiple stories, carpenter bees will most likely burrow on the second floor - for their own safety.
Why Should I Treat My Carpenter Bee Problem Immediately?
Carpenter bee activity tends to be a nuisance and a threat to your residence. Too many carpenter bees burrowing at once can cause costly structural and aesthetic damage to the side of your home. Woodpeckers will often peck into house siding seeking carpenter bee larvae for food. While they do not sting, male carpenter bees are territorial. Female carpenter bees can sting if provoked which can be a danger to your family and pets.
Call us today for carpenter bee control, so you and your family can rest assured your home will be safe.
How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees
The good news is that carpenter bees are not aggressive. They are actually fairly comfortable buzzing around and leaving humans alone. You are more likely to see them fighting each other. Yet, you don't want to let carpenter bees stick around your house. They live in wood, which can cause some unsightly damage to your home's exterior.
Understanding how to spot this flying pest and get rid of them is an important part of carpenter bee control.
How Do I Identify a Carpenter Bee Problem?
A carpenter bee problem is fairly easy to identify. The following signs are extremely common.
- You see their holes in the exterior of your home.
Carpenter bee holes are circular and will appear on wood surfaces. Homes, particularly at risk for carpenter bee infestation, are those with wooden exteriors. Female carpenter bees are the ones who drill the holes. They bore straight up into the wood. There will only be one hole per bee. But, many bees can live in the same area, so your home can become pockmarked with these holes.
In addition to the holes, carpenter bees will leave sawdust remains underneath their holes. This is caused by the boring process.
- You see the carpenter bees themselves.
In addition to seeing the damage they cause; it is very common to see carpenter bees. They are large bees. In fact, they are often mistaken for bumblebees. However, bumblebees do not live or fly near the wooden parts of your home. Carpenter bees also have completely black bodies from their middle to their tail. Bumblebees have stripes down their bodies.
How Do I Get Rid of Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees do not eat wood. Like other bees, they subsist on pollen. But they can cause a lot of damage to the exterior of your home. If there are too many carpenter bee holes in a single location—such as under the eaves—sections may have structural damage.
You don't want to let a carpenter bee infestation get that out of hand. Instead, follow these steps to remove carpenter bees from your property.
- Purchase carpenter bee homes.
This solution works better for prevention but can be a good option. Carpenter bee homes can be purchased in most stores. They provide pre-drilled wood for the bees to live in. By hanging these homes away from your house, you may be able to lure the carpenter bees to a safe location. - Use traps.
Carpenter bee traps are made to allow the bees to fly in, but not out. You can purchase carpenter bee-specific traps. These are not long-term solutions, but they may be able to help. - Use sprays.
There are multiple sprays you can use to remove carpenter bees from your property. Most sprays work as a good natural deterrent. However, they may not help an existing carpenter bee problem. - Try blasting loud music.
Make sure your neighbors are on board with this solution before you try it. But there is some evidence that carpenter bees are affected by loud noises. The vibrations may convince them to leave your home. - Hire a professional exterminator.
By far the most likely solution to work long term is hiring an exterminator. These professionals have the tools and equipment needed to remove existing carpenter bees and prevent their return. GoLocal Pest Control can connect you with the best carpenter bee removal in your area.
How to Prevent Carpenter Bees
The good is that carpenter bees are some of the least aggressive bee species around. In fact, only the females have stingers. The bad news is that they can cause a lot of damage to wood buildings. If you have a wood façade on your home, then you may end up with a carpenter bee problem.
Carpenter bees are about the size of bumblebees, but they are typically all black. They are also a solitary type of bee. They do not live in hives, and the males will actually fight off other carpenter bees in the area. Their non-aggression policy does not extend to other carpenter bees.
Because of their potential to cause structural and cosmetic damage to your home, it is a good idea to prevent them.
Why Do I Have Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees are attracted to unpainted wood surfaces. They will drill into logs, eaves, decks, and fascia boards. The type of wood doesn't really matter. Carpenter bees do prefer hardwoods, but they will take any unpainted wood they can find.
Unlike termites, carpenter bees do not eat the wood. They harvest pollen like other types of bees. Instead, they are more like carpenter ants. Carpenter bees make their homes in the wood. The females tunnel into the wood while the male guards the area. When the tunnel is complete, the female lays her eggs in it.
Essentially, you may have carpenter bees on your property because they are nesting. Carpenter bees tend to return to the same area where they hatched. So, it is possible to have multiple generations of carpenter bees living in your home. You want to avoid this if at all possible since too much carpenter bee activity can cause structural damage.
How Do I Prevent Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees are not a good insect to have living on your property. Their potential for causing damage is just too great. Use the following tips to prevent carpenter bees from deciding your home is their home.
- Paint all bare wood.
Carpenter bees prefer bare wood. They need to see and feel the grain. If you don't want carpenter bees, pain all of the exterior wood surfaces of your home. - Try carpenter bee houses.
Some people like the idea of having bees on their property. Carpenter bees will pollinate flowers just as well as other types of bees. You just don't want them living in your house. So, you can try a carpenter bee house. These provide ready-made tunnels for the bees. They are only marginally effective, however. - Spray pesticides.
Spraying some pesticides, especially those that contain cypermethrin, bifenthrin, or deltamethrin can keep carpenter bees from drilling into your home. pesticide use can cause other problems, though. - Contact an exterminator.
The most effective way to ensure no carpenter bees build their nests in your wood exterior is to hire an exterminator. A good pest control company that specializes in carpenter bees can be hard to find. That is why you should contact GoLocal Pest Control. We will help you find the carpenter bee removal specialists in your area.
What Do Carpenter Bees Look Like?
Carpenter bees look like they are dangerous. They are large, solitary bees that often buzz near wooden buildings. They also tend to be aggressive with each other. They will vigorously defend their nesting sites. However, carpenter bees are some of the most non-aggressive bees out there.
Their non-aggressive nature does not mean you want carpenter bees on your property. Yes, they can act as pollinators. But they can also do significant damage to wooden facades or structures on your property.
It is important to be able to identify carpenter bees. Below, we give you the information you need to find these pests and get rid of them for good.
How Many Species of Carpenter Bee Are There?
Carpenter bees are part of the genus Xylocopa. All members of Xylocopa are large and hairy bees. There are 500 species of carpenter bees in the world. Many of these species live in the United States.
However, only a few carpenter bee species are common in the U.S. What species of carpenter bee will likely show up on your property depends on your location. Here are the most common carpenter bee species and their locations.
- Southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans):
Found mostly in the American tropics. They range from southern Virginia through the southeast. - Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica):
Found east of the Rocky Mountains and up through eastern Canada. - California carpenter bee (Xylocopa californica):
Found in the southwest, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. - Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta):
Found in the southwest U.S., including Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, and New Mexico. - Horsefly carpenter bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis):
Found in Oregon, Utah, and Nevada. - Sonoria (Xylocopa sonorina):
Found in the Hawaiian Islands. However, this species was brought to the islands as early as 1874. They are not native to that region.
What Do Carpenter Bees Look Like?
Even though there are a lot of carpenter bee species in the United States, each share many characteristics. Most of the differences between the species occur because of their location and general habits. Small physical characteristics may change as well. But these are often hard for a layperson to spot.
In general, carpenter bees are large bees. They range from ½-1 inches in length. They typically have a fuzzy yellow thorax, black abdomen, and large head. All carpenter bees have two sets of wings. Only female carpenter bees have stingers.
Carpenter bees are often mistaken for bumblebees. Both are about the same size. However, the two types of bees have very different coloring. Bumblebees are black with yellow stripes. They are also fuzzy all over their bodies. Carpenter bees are only fuzzy on their thorax.
Carpenter bees burrow into wood to make their nests. This can cause a lot of damage to the outside of your home or buildings. If you see carpenter bees on your property, use the database at GoLocal Pest Control. It will help you find the top carpenter bee removal companies in your area.
How to Find an Exterminator to Help with Carpenter Bees
Like carpenter ants, carpenter bees build their homes in wood. They do not eat the wood, but by burrowing into it they can cause significant damage. Unlike carpenter ants, carpenter bees tend to stick to the wood exterior of a house. But, if you don't want your house to look pockmarked, then you need to consider hiring an exterminator to solve your carpenter bee problem.
Finding the best pest removal service near you can be hard. In the rest of this article, we will tell you how to find an exterminator to help with carpenter bees.
What Should I Look for in a Carpenter Bee Exterminator?
Carpenter bees are not necessarily dangerous to humans. They can cause structural damage to porches and other structures. But often their damage is superficial. You still need to find a good carpenter bee exterminator, though.
When looking for the best company there are a few things to keep in mind. First, the company should be experienced in treating carpenter bees. The more experienced they are, the more likely your carpenter bee problem goes away easily. Second, they should be willing to take the time to answer your questions. If a technician or owner does not want to talk with you before you hire them, you should walk away. Look for pest removal services that are transparent as possible.
In addition, you should ask the following questions.
- When was the last time you treated a carpenter bee infestation?
- How do you remove the carpenter bees?
- How do you keep the carpenter bees from coming back?
- How long will this treatment take?
What Should I Expect from Carpenter Bee Exterminators?
There are a couple of steps in carpenter bee removal.
- Inspection:
This is the first step. The technician will look around your home and determine where the carpenter bees are living and the severity of the situation. - Treatment:
Carpenter bee treatment usually takes a few steps. An insecticide should be used to kill the bees in the area. Then insecticide dust may be put into the holes. Once the bee is gone, the holes need to be plugged up. This step may not happen right away, to ensure the bees do not drill more holes. - Follow-up:
Truly removing all carpenter bees may take a while. Your exterminator should schedule a follow-up visit to ensure the problem is completely resolved.
How Do I Find an Exterminator to Help with Carpenter Bees?
Finding an exterminator to help with carpenter bees does not have to be hard. You should look in your local area. This will support a local business and give you the individualized attention you deserve.
When looking for a good local exterminator, consult GoLocal Pest Control. We have a database of hundreds of pre-approved pest control companies. Our location finder can help you find the best services in your area. Try us today and let us help you make your home carpenter bee-free.