Homeowners in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are probably aware of the dreaded termite and have at least heard of carpenter ants, both of which are widely known for their wood-destroying behaviors. But did you know that these two aren’t the only wood damaging insects we should be worrying about? Carpenter bees aren’t usually on a homeowners radar, but they definitely should be! This is especially true during the summertime when carpenter bee populations are at their peak. In the hotter months, their numbers swell, increasing the odds of an infestation.
Carpenter bees are often confused with the more commonly known bumble bee but there are a couple ways to tell them apart. Carpenter bees do not have a fuzzy abdomen but instead have black, shiny underbellies. They are also different because they choose to create their nests and lay their eggs in wooden structures. In the process of doing this, they can cause a lot of damage to a home’s foundation or any wooden structures on the property they invade. The good news is that they are not likely to nest in wood that has been painted or stained and prefer soft wood over hardwood; the bad news, however, is that any wood that any wood on your property that isn’t treated or is hardwood is up for grabs. The signs that your property has been infested include holes that are about ½ of an inch in diameter in the wood of your home or other wooden structures around your property, piles of sawdust underneath those holes, bees flying around the holes, and yellow staining from fecal matter near the holes.
While carpenter bees do not bite, the female will sting if handled directly. The males may act aggressive, but they pose no real threat to humans as they lack a stinger. The sting from a female carpenter bee has been known to cause allergic reactions in some people. This is just one of the many reasons why you should leave handling carpenter bee problems to the professionals. Our technicians at Big Blue Bug Solutions know the correct way to exclude carpenter bees from your property in a safe yet effective way. Our professionals will also help homeowners establish a prevention plan to keep carpenter bees from returning and causing more damage to their property. For starters, we can set up a prevention plan that involves the use of treatments performed during regularly scheduled visits throughout the year. There are methods homeowners can implement all of their own. Since carpenter bees don’t like nesting in treated wood, staining and painting decks, porches, and sheds is a good tactic to prevent them from coming back. Using hardwood when building any new structures is a good idea as well. If you want to learn more about carpenter bees or our pest protection plans, contact us at Big Blue Bug Solutions today!