Carpenter Bees and their Control

 

Carpenter bees (sometimes called "borer bees" or "wood bees") are rather large, stocky, somewhat clumsy-looking bees who closely resemble bumblebees; the underside of the carpenter bee's abdomen is shiny, however, while that of the bumble bee is covered with hair. Carpenter bees are very non-aggressive and seldom if ever sting. They are also beneficial. Like all bees, they are pollinators. In fact, if it weren't for one annoying habit, most people would like carpenter bees:

 

Carpenter bees drill holes.

They drill perfectly round, one-half inch holes that look like they were made with an electric drill. They drill holes in wooden decks, porches, and gazebos. They drill holes in wooden door and window trim. They drill holes in fascia boards, wooden siding, roof overhangs, and soffits. They drill holes in swing sets and jungle gyms. Indeed, pretty much anywhere carpenter bees can can find a suitable piece of coniferous wood, they drill holes.

Carpenter bees seem to take special pleasure in finding hard-to-reach places to drill holes. Since they prefer unfinished wood, they'll often drill holes in the unfinished backs of siding and fascia boards. The waxy stains that are a telltale sign of carpenter ant activity on the hidden side of a piece of wood are properly known as ejecta. These unsightly stains can be very hard to remove.

 

Why do Carpenter Bees Drill Holes?

Carpenter bees don't drill holes just for the heck of it. They drill holes to lay their eggs in. Although usually all we see is the one-half inch entry hole, once they get inside the wood, they make an abrupt turn and burrow a long, almost cylindrical tunnel in the same direction as the wood's grain. These galleries can range in length from several inches to more than a foot. Female carpenter bees lay multiple eggs in the galleries, with each egg separated from its siblings by a bit of wax and sawdust. Over time, the damage can be severe, necessitating replacement of the wood. And since carpenter bees are quite fond of drilling holes in hard-to-reach places like roof overhangs and soffits, the cost to replace damaged wood can easily reach thousands of dollars.

Over time, carpenter bees can cause hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage to the exterior trim of a house. And because that trim can be located twenty or thirty feel up in the air along a roof line or soffit, repairing the damage caused by carpenter bees can be a very expensive project.

Since carpenter bees are non-aggressive, many people elect to treat them themselves. This usually is a mistake. It's not easy for an untrained person to find all the holes, and even more difficult to apply an insecticide in such a way that it provides adequate control.

For the best results, if you live in the Greater Boston area, call the professionals at Economy Pest Control.