Feature: Carpenter Bees
Monster Bees
Spring’s abuzz with flying insects and this includes a rather large bumble bee like creature seen buzzing around your wooden patio deck, stair rail or eaves of your home.
A Bumble Bee It Is Not
Although somewhat bumble bee like in appearance, these are actually another pest altogether, called a carpenter bee. Bumble bees tend to be fuzzy all over and carpenter bees have smooth shiny black abdomens without fuzz. Despite their similar appearance, the nesting habits of the two types of bees are quite different. Bumble bees usually nest in the ground whereas carpenter bees tunnel into wood to lay their eggs. Carpenter bees nest in a wide range of softwoods and hardwoods, particularly if the wood is weathered or bare (unpainted). Eastern species of carpenter bees prefer softwoods such as cedar, redwood, cypress, pine, and fir. The bees can more easily tunnel through woods that are soft and that have a straight grain.
Wood Eating Bees can Cause Damage
Western species of carpenter bees often nest in oak, eucalyptus, and redwood. The females drill into wood and form an entrance hole about 1 inch in diameter; they then continue with a gallery of about five inches long in which to lay their eggs. They provision each egg in the gallery with a bit of pollen. In this process, they can also create quite a mess, as they stain the area with the yellow/brown pollen and feces they produce.
The nesting action of these carpenter bees may end up destroying the wooden members of your patio deck, railings, facia boards, siding, wooden shakes, eaves outdoor furniture or fence posts. Painted or pressure-treated wood is much less susceptible to attack.
Dive Bombers – You Better Duck
Both males and females can be aggressive and territorial as well, and will dive bomb you as you approach their nest sites. However, stings from female carpenter bees are rare. (Males do not have a stinger and do not sting at all.) Still, most homeowners do not want to have to deal with aggressive bee like pests that destroy their home. Remember to call us, your pest professionals to assist you in treating and preventing further carpenter bee attack and damage to the wooden parts of your home.
We’ll get those carpenter bees to buzz off ... so you can enjoy the nice spring weather!
