The Carpenter Bees In The Bay Area Can Damage Your Property

Carpenter bees may look like common bumblebees, but there is a key difference between these species. Carpenter bees can damage your property by drilling through the wooden parts of your home. Over time, this can cause serious structural damage. Carpenter bees in the Bay Area are destructive pests. To keep the damage to a minimum, it’s important to know how to identify carpenter bees, the problems they cause, and how to eliminate them effectively.

How To Identify Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are yellow and black and grow from ¼ to 1 inch long. They have oval-shaped, robust bodies, and shiny black abdomens. Female carpenter bees are capable of stinging but rarely do, while males are not able to sting at all. Carpenter bees look very similar to bumblebees, as they are about the same size and have similar coloring. However, the abdomens of bumblebees are hairy and have yellow markings, while carpenter bee abdomens are uniformly black and smooth.

Carpenter bee behaviors also differ from other bees. Most species of bees, including bumblebees, are social insects that live in large colonies. Carpenter bees, on the other hand, are solitary insects. The nesting habits of carpenter bees are also unique. Unlike most bees, which nest either underground or in aerial hives, carpenter bees nest inside dead trees or manmade wooden structures. Carpenter bee nests on your property may be in the boards of your deck, under the eaves of your roof, or inside wooden door frames and window sills.

Does Anything Instantly Kill Carpenter Bees?

If you discover carpenter bees on your property, you’ll naturally want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the fact that bees nest inside wood complicates this.

Insecticidal dusts are effective for carpenter bee treatment. Carefully apply the insecticidal dust into the openings of the nests. It is best to do this at night to avoid being stung. Over time, the dust spreads throughout the tunnels as the bees move in and out of the nest. Ideally, the insecticidal dust will expose every bee, but it can take a few treatments to achieve this. Treating in early spring, mid-summer, and again in the fall can help ensure that you eliminate the bees. Once all the bees have died, be sure to plug the entrance holes to prevent bees from using them the following spring.

This method is relatively effective, but it is a long process and can be difficult. For faster, more effective carpenter bee treatment, consider working with a pest control professional.

What Damages Can Carpenter Bees Cause In The Bay Area?

While the work of one carpenter bee causes only mild damage, this is likely to worsen over time as the bees reuse and expand the tunnels. Carpenter bees often return to the same nests each year; they drill more holes and excavate new galleries for their eggs. The wood gradually becomes weaker and can eventually collapse.

Carpenter bees also cause aesthetic damage, as they leave a series of holes in the surface of the wood. Additionally, carpenter bee excrement can cause stains outside the entrance holes or on items underneath them. Carpenter bees in California typically infest unpainted and untreated wood. This includes deck boards or railings, wooden shingles, eaves, doors, fences, and wooden lawn furniture.

While carpenter bees can be difficult to deter entirely, there are a few things you can do to protect your wooden structures. Try these tips for carpenter bees prevention:

• Paint or varnish any unfinished wood.
• Keep sheds and garages closed to keep bees from nesting inside them.
• Fill any depressions or crevices on wooden surfaces.
• Keep carpenter bees from entering the house’s interior by installing screens and sealing any small openings.
• Plug carpenter bee holes after bees have left the nest.

Using these tactics will make your wooden structures less attractive to carpenter bees. In the next section, learn the best way to handle carpenter bees on your property.

What Is The Best Treatment For Carpenter Bees?

Professional methods are the most effective for carpenter bee control. For quality pest control in the Bay Area, look no further than Bay Pest Solution. Bay Pest Solution has protected Bay Area homes from pests for over 40 years.

If carpenter bees are nesting in your wooden structures, our home pest control experts will safely and thoroughly get rid of them. We will locate and treat any active nests and provide follow-up services to eliminate carpenter bees for good. If you have carpenter bees on your property, don’t let them make themselves at home in your wooden structures. Contact us today for expert carpenter bee control.