Carpenter Bees

Eastern carpenter bees are approximately one inch long and often mistaken for bumble bees. The latter have wide, hairy, yellow bands in the middle of the abdomen. By contrast, the abdomen of the large carpenter bee is shiny and black with few (if any) hairs of yellow bands.

Female carpenter bees can sting if they are disturbed. Their pollination ability is questionable—they can remove nectar without pollinating the plant by cutting small holes in flowers. Unlike females, males have a large yellow/white spot on the front of the face and are stingerless. Larger carpenter bees can be highly aggressive when defending their territory.

Adults emerge from old tunnels in April or May and mate. Females then dig a tunnel, dropping sawdust on the ground under the hole. The tunnel entrance is almost a perfect circle. Wood piles, unpainted fence posts, fascia boards, eaves and decks are the preferred places of attack, and softwoods are favored over hardwoods. The tunnel is perpendicular to the wood surface for the first one or two inches, makes an abrupt right angle turn, and then runs parallel to the grain of the wood for four to six inches.

Structural damage is rarely serious, and large carpenter bees are more of a nuisance to homeowners than a serious threat. Painting, applying metal flashing or applying wire screening to the exposed wood surface are the best means to prevent damage.

Should your home or facility already have carpenter ant damage and activity contact a Bug Doctor specialist to inspect and professionally treat the damages area.

Untreated carpenter bee activity can also result in woodpecker problems, as woodpeckers like to feast on the carpenter bees and larvae below the wood surface.

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