Busy Bees are Back! Carpenter Bees are a problem we can solve

Carpenter bees are notorious loners, although a few live in companionship with other female relatives. Because carpenter bees are generally solitary, they do not live in nests. Instead, they excavate separate apartments, or galleries, in wood in which to live and, most importantly, lay eggs. Every hole in your wood likely represents a separate gallery for an individual bee and a breeding ground for subsequent generations.

Busy bees building a home for themselves, carpenter bees will bore a hole straight into a piece of wood, creating an entry point the size of their body, then turn to follow the grain. A carpenter bee can tunnel up to 10 feet over time in their movement deeper into the wood, laying eggs and depositing them in separate cells lovingly lined with pollen to sustain the larvae and regurgitated wood pulp. This encroachment can cause cosmetic and structural damage, which is why carpenter bees should be considered a pest to be controlled by your local Home Paramount office. It can also lay the groundwork for moisture damage, rot and decay of the wood if left unchecked.

In terms of real estate preference, carpenter bees like soft, untreated wood which is why you may find them on unpainted wood structures around your home or office, such as a chewy fence, an airy porch. Customers also report finding them in eaves, rafters, decks and siding. Treated wood is much less palatable to a carpenter bee.

Once their time is up, a carpenter bee will simply die in their nest, leaving it available for subsequent bees. Carpenter bees are perfectly happy to reuse galleries, and these nests can house multiple generations of prior, desiccated bees which can attract woodpeckers eager for an easy treat.

Carpenter bees rarely sting, their pest status is mostly attributed to their wood damage. The male carpenter bee is anatomically unable to hurt you – no stinger. On the other hand, the female can actually inflict a painful sting, but rarely does so unless bothered.

Prevention is best done early, before the tunnels are fully constructed. Our products will be injected into the tunnel and left to work for a few days before you can plug the entry hole to prevent use by another opportunistic carpenter bee or moisture and decay issues.

Problem? Solved.