How to Stop Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees look a lot like honey bees, but they pack a surprising punch with their sting and can inflict substantial damage to wood structures when left unchecked.

However, it’s a misconception that carpenter bees eat wood. They feed on pollen and nectar, much like other bees, but they are solitary and bore into wood structures to create chambers where they lay their eggs in the spring and hibernate during winter.

The best strategy to stop carpenter bees — and to properly identify the stinging pest, is to call a professional. Not only can these pests cause significant structural damage, but carpenter bees can also deliver painful stings when they feel threatened.

Signs of Carpenter Bees

The holes made by carpenter bees typically look like small holes in the wood. They usually range from 1/2- to 3/4-inch in length, or roughly the length of an adult finger. But their size doesn’t stop the pest from creating substantial damage in wood or structures.

In addition to unusual holes in wood, other signs that carpenter bees are present include wood shavings near holes, bees hovering around wooded areas, and a yellow to yellowish-green substance near the holes. The strange substance is actually carpenter bee droppings. It is also acidic that it can eat through paint if it not removed.

These pests are often active in April and May when they emerge to mate, then again later in summer when the eggs hatch, and the young bees leave the nest in search of food.

Activity around soffits, eaves, fences, and other wooden structures may be an indication of an issue.

What Attracts Carpenter Bees?

Before understanding how to stop carpenter bees, it helps to know more about what the bees look for in an attractive place to call home.

Soft woods, particularly cypress, pine, and cedar, are very attractive to carpenter bees because it’s easier to drill into them. Unfinished wood, rotted wood, and weathered wood may also attract them.

How to Prevent Carpenter Bees

Taking preventive measures to repel these pests may be most effective in autumn when most carpenter bee nests are empty, and adult bees have moved on before settling in for their winter hibernation.

Removing or applying finishes to untreated wood is one of the most effective ways to prevent carpenter bees from setting up shop on a property. Females do all the destructive work, drilling and tunneling into wood. The easier it is to get the job done, the more likely the bees will choose that spot.

They prefer nesting sites with easy access. Examples include unfinished, weathered, or rotting wood as primary attractants for carpenter bees.

Painting, finishing, and treating wood can help ward off these destructive pests. If affordability isn’t an issue, replacing wood siding with vinyl and capping unfinished plank ends with durable metal flashing are effective techniques.

Professional Care to Prevent Carpenter Bees

Although some do-it-yourself efforts can be handled on your own, it’s possible to end up with a potentially dangerous carpenter bee situation if the pest is not handled by a professional.

One or two carpenter bees might not cause extensive damage, but a large infestation could wreak havoc on the structural integrity of a property.

The more time carpenter bees spend tunneling into wood, the weaker the wood becomes. Additionally, large infestations make it more likely that water can get inside wood structures, hastening the rotting process.

Carpenter bee larvae inside wood structures may attract woodpeckers, which creates more holes and more damage.

Structural damage isn’t the only consideration. If it’s not possible to seal holes and completely remove nests, it could lead to future infestations.

Although they don’t do it often, but females will sting if they feel their nests are threatened. The stings are painful and can trigger an allergic reaction.

Carpenter bee allergic reactions include but are not limited dizziness, nausea, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, swollen tongue, and many others. Reactions of this magnitude amplifies the need to have a trained professional handle the infestation.

Pest control experts at USX Pest have the training and necessary equipment to handle an infestation swiftly and carefully.

How Professional Pest Control Can Put an End to Bee Infestations

Carpenter bee infestations, particularly large ones, are best left to the professionals to handle. At USX Pest, we are equipped to efficiently stop carpenter bees from creating further damage to homes, businesses, and other structures.

Expertly trained professionals will conduct a thorough inspection of the property and use their findings to create a customized plan.

Technicians work carefully to remove the stinging pest, eliminating the potential threat from the property. During this step, the nests are also removed, and an eco-friendly treatment is used.

Then, technicians seal all the carpenter bee holes, which helps prevent future problems. At USX Pest, home repair services can also help you fix damage and restore your property.

Learn more about how to stop carpenter bees and prevent future infestations by calling USX Pest at (413) 216-4629 or scheduling a free inspection online today to get started.