Bees aren’t always worthy of enemy status, but you might think again about Carpenter Bees. This large, aggressive bee is both in nature and has a frighteningly-loud buzz that may want make you want to ‘duck and cover.’
Springtime is the season of love—they call it the ‘birds and the bees’ for a reason! During springtime pollination, the large adult male carpenter bee will ‘hover’ in an area as he patrols for the perfect female mate. If he discovers you in his territory, don’t be surprised if he zooms in and hovers only inches from your face. The good news is the male can’t sting you, but he can be annoyingly persistent!
Despite its name, the Carpenter Bee is no home builder. Worse than its male counterpart, the female Carpenter Bee is dedicated to preparing a nest for her young. She’ll use her mandibles to grind against the wood of your home to hollow out nearly perfect, dime-sized entrance holes in 6-8 inch sections to make way for her nest. She prefers wood that is unpainted or weathered, and will return to the same site year after year.
Also destructive to your home, its feces will stain your house with a terrible yellowish-brown splatter. This mess is incredibly difficult to clean from windows, siding, rain gutters, and all other surfaces. If you see these stains, you know you have a Carpenter Bee problem, and identifying the stains can help you find bee nesting sites.
What can you do?
As pollinators who pose a limited stinging threat, it’s still important to protect your home from their nests. Check all wooden boards, patio furniture, fencing and decking, children’s swing sets, etc. Remove and replace any damaged wood. Maintain all painted surfaces, filling nail holes and other holes with caulk and then repainting.
Pest control treatment works best for targeting individual nest sites. If you think Carpenter Bees may be threatening your home or yard, call Green Pest Services for professional help today.
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