Carpenter bees begin to arrive in Feasterville at the first signs of spring. They like to get a head start on their nests in early April. The bees return to previous nests year after year. If there were problems last season, it is time to look at structures for signs of their return.
The bees scare humans due to their size. They are sometimes mistaken for aggressive bees. The bees do not go out of their way to bother humans. They even hold a positive role within the environment. Carpenter bees are pollinators and are an integral part of the food web for insects and small prey. Since they drill holes into wood, they assist in the decaying trees and branches out in the wild.
The problem is when the bees invade structures where people live and work. They can cause extensive damage, especially since they are to return yearly to the same place. The best way to check for carpenter bee infestations is to contact a pest control professional for assistance.
WHAT DO CARPENTER BEES LOOK LIKE?
Carpenter bees are often confused with other bees. They have unique traits that make it easy to identify them. Carpenter bees do not have any hair. They have a black or dark brown body with a metallic sheen. They are giant bees. The females average an inch long while the males are a little smaller. The wings on the bees are longer than the bee, oval, and transparent. The bee’s back legs have what are called pollen baskets. The buckets collect pollen and keep it safe while the bee returns to the nest.
One way to tell a male from a female is their head. Though their head size is large, the female’s head is black, while the male has a white spot. Also, the compound eyes on the male are close together. The eyes look like they touch. Another way to tell the sexes apart is the stinger. The female is the one with the stinging power.
WHERE DO CARPENTER BEES LIVE?
Unlike other bees, carpenter bees do not live in a typical nest. Instead, they live in wood, hence their name. It is the queen bee who is the building engineer. The males do not participate in the process. The female starts by making a tiny hole in a piece of wood. The wood could be part of a home or building, outdoor furniture, a firewood pile, a window frame, or any untreated or old worn-out wood piece. They prefer softwoods because they are easier to chew through.
The female first makes a tiny hole into the wood. She can only chew approximately one inch in five days. It may seem slow, but she will make tunnels that are several feet long. Once the tunnel is complete, the queen will use wood powder and sawdust to divide the tunnels into sections. She uses the divisions for her eggs.
WHAT DO CARPENTER BEES EAT?
Though the queen spends her time chomping through wood, wood is not part of the carpenter bee’s diet. Instead, they thrive on nectar from a variety of flowering plants. Thanks to their large size, carpenter bees are not always able to fly inside flowers, instead, they rely on their long tongues to get the nectar.
The bees will also gather pollen from the flowers. The adults do not eat the pollen. Instead, it is taken back to the nest and stored. The pollen is mixed with nectar to make bee bread. The bee bread is food for the young.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY CARPENTER BEES
Carpenter bees can create significant damage, but if there is a bright side, the damage is usually kept to one area and is not widespread. The female bee is in charge of making the nest. She is the own who chews holes and makes tunnels inside a building or home. The area around the entrance can become splintered and weak causing larger holes to form. The extensive tunneling system can weaken the wood putting wooden beams, playsets, decks, or furniture at risk of failure. Structural failure is possible, which could prove costly for Feasterville homes and businesses that receive such damage.
ARE CARPENTER BEES AGGRESSIVE?
The queen bee is driven. Her purpose is to make her nest. The males, on the other hand, are the aggressors. They are often hovering around the nest. The males are either protecting their next from other carpenter bee invaders or are looking for a mate. Males will attempt to attack other males who come too close to the nest. They are not shy about dive-bombing people who may have accidentally entered their space. They like to get right into a person’s face. There is no need to be frightened or see the bees as a threat. The males will not sting.
DO CARPENTER BEES CARRY DISEASE?
Carpenter bees do not transmit diseases to people. In fact, most people have only a mild reaction to a sting, and such attacks are relatively rare given the docile nature of most female carpenter bees. Nonetheless, their stings can cause severe and potentially life-threatening reactions in some people. These reactions most frequently are caused by a component called mellitin that is found in carpenter bee venom.
Mellitin contains various enzymes, such as histamine, that can cause pain and swelling in the aftermath of a sting. Some people may develop a severe reaction to these enzymes called anaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis can cause extreme breathing difficulty, itching, hives and swelling all over the body. Medical treatment is required to guard against serious complications and potentially death.
HOW TO DETECT CARPENTER BEES
Signs of a carpenter bee presence include:
Signs of a carpenter bee control problem include:
• Discovering smooth, well-defined entry holes. The holes are approximately the size of an adult’s little finger. • Seeing piles of wood shavings under holes in wooden structures or wood piles. • Spotting the presence of bees inside an office building or home. • Discoloration of wood near the entry holes from the bee’s waste products or from other organisms living on the damaged or rotting wood. • Hearing drilling or buzzing sounds within a home or building. Male bees make those sounds to keep invaders away from their nests. • Carpenter bees are a favorite food item of the woodpeckers. If there are more of them around the home or building, it may be because of the carpenter bees.
HOW TO PREVENT CARPENTER BEES
To help protect against carpenter bee issues the following steps should be taken:
• Use essential oils as a repellent. Make a mixture of almond or citrus oil and water. Apply the mixture in areas where there is carpenter bee activity or visible damage. • Carpenter bees do not like wasps and will not make their tunnels in the same area. Construct and hang a fake wasp nest. • Make a lot of noise. Carpenter bees communicate by making noise. Low-frequency noises, especially bass guitar music, will interrupt their communications system. Hanging wind chimes can also act as a deterrent. • Make sure all exposed wood on all structures is painted or treated. • Inspect buildings regularly for signs of carpenter bee activity. Fill any new holes to stop the bees from coming back. • Remove materials from the property or away from all wooden structures that will attract the bees, including wet or rotting wood.
HOW TO TREAT FOR CARPENTER BEES
Proper carpenter bee control involves a series of steps, including the application of insecticides, dusts, and the sealing of existing holes. The selected insecticide is used as the initial form of treatment, followed by the injection of a specific dust formulation which provides residual protection. Finally, entrance holes are plugged after the carpenter bee colony has been given sufficient time to distribute the treatment products throughout the nest area.
Newtown Termite & Pest Control utilizes a multi-faceted approach to eradicating the unwanted bees. When combined, the processes work together to ensure that your Feasterville home or office remains a pest-free environment.
