Identify Pest: Carpenter Bees and Carpenter Bee Infestation Problems

Carpenter bees look a little like regular bees, but wreak havoc to wood like termites. While they don’t swarm and rarely sting, carpenter bees are far from harmless. Carpenter bee infestations can cause thousands of dollars in cosmetic and structural property damage. They are common on Long Island, parts of New York City, and throughout Westchester  and Rockland Counties

Identifying Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are large—about an inch or more in length. They have a fuzzy yellow thorax and a shiny black abdomen. Their wings fan out in a delta shape.

Carpenter Bee Infestation Sites

Carpenter bees nest in wood siding, window trim, wood shingles, exposed parts of wood foundations, fences and decks—even your patio furniture. Carpenter bees don’t eat wood. The damage they do comes from tunneling out their egg and nectar cavities. Carpenter bees females are solitary nesters; each one carves her own nest, which is how a carpenter bee infestation causes so much damage. You won’t find a single, busy carpenter bee hive. Instead you will see a number of individual holes that end in large nest cavities called galleries. A gallery can measure over two inches in diameter and extend more than a foot into the wood. They prefer unpainted and untreated soft wood, but paint itself is no guarantee against an infestation. Carpenter bee holes can attract additional pests, so getting rid of the problem is important. Carpenter bee infestations can continue for years, and if not properly exterminated, can recur again and again.

How to Identify a Carpenter Bee Problem

Carpenter bees begin nesting in the spring and become active during the height of summer as eggs hatch and adult bees make and store nectar. The three telltale signs of a carpenter bee problem are:

• Perfectly round holes measuring about a quarter inch in diameter
• Piles of sawdust below fresh holes
• Brownish yellow drippings of excrement from active holes

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees

Getting rid of carpenter bees is a multi-step process:

• Identification is key. You might be able to spot some of the holes, but it takes a trained professional to know what to look for and where to look.
• Carpenter bees don’t always pick the most obvious nesting spots, and it is easy to miss seeing a major problem. Get a professional inspection if you suspect you have a carpenter bee problem.
• Getting rid of carpenter bees requires a multi-step process. Killing the adults doesn’t eliminate the problem. You also have to kill the eggs and larva. If you seal the hole without finishing the job the hatched carpenter bees will make multiple exit tunnels that can more than double the damage caused by the initial nest.
• Carpenter bees return to previous nest, so preventing re-infestation is vital. Holes need to be permanently sealed with materials that the bees cannot chew. Surface areas of past nesting sites and attractive nearby alternatives need to be treated to repel new nest building.
• Make sure you get ongoing support. Your professional carpenter bee exterminator can walk through your property and show you where you are vulnerable and help you fix those problems.

Carpenter bees are covered in our effective and affordable Integrated Pest Management Annual Package KO-12 Program that provides you with pest protection throughout the year.

Knockout Pest Control Can Knock Out Carpenter Bee Nests

Knockout Pest Control is your local expert at knocking out carpenter bee infestations–and we keep them down for the count. Every member of our team receives over 100 hours of classroom instruction and in-the-field training so you are guaranteed a knockout punch to your pest problem every time. We serve all of Long Island, New York City, and Westchester and Rockland Counties. Call 1-800-244-PEST or 1-800-244-7378 We respond like every pest problem is an emergency with fast, 24 hour service seven days a week. We don’t have the big red boxing glove in our logo for nothing!