Pest Control for Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are a large species of bees that can be found throughout Atlanta, Augusta, Fayetteville, Woodstock, Suwanee, Marietta, Hiram, and Aiken SC. This big black bee looks similar to bumblebees but can be accurately identified when you understand the differences between the two. The female can sting humans but will only do so if provoked. The male carpenter bee does not have a stinger and does not pose a threat. Female carpenter bees bore holes into wood to build their nests and lay eggs. This creates round holes in the wood that can be found in many different areas around your home or business including siding, fences, trees, lawn furniture, and swing sets.

Carpenter bees are easy to confuse with bumblebees because they have several physical similarities. The size, shape, and coloring of these two types of bees are similar. One noticeable physical difference between the two can be found on the abdomen. Bumblebees have a fuzzy abdomen while carpenter bees have a shiny black abdomen. You can also distinguish carpenter bees from other types of bees by their behavior. Bumblebees live in colonies with many others, but carpenter bees are solitary and only share their nest with a mate and eggs. The females spend their time excavating wood for their nests, while the males play the role of protector against threats. The behavior of male carpenter bees can seem aggressive when they encounter a threat, but they do not have a stinger and are not a physical threat.

Carpenter bees are a common sight in eastern states such as Atlanta, Augusta, Fayetteville, Woodstock, Suwanee, Marietta, Hiram, and Aiken SC. If you have wood on or around your home or business, you are at risk for developing a carpenter bee problem. These pests bore into softwoods like pine and cedar to build their nests and lay eggs.

Carpenter bees can cause unsightly damage to your structure. Female carpenter bees bore holes into wood. The holes they create are large enough for them to enter and lay their eggs. Since these pests range in size from ¾ of an inch to 1 inch, the holes are large enough to be easily noticed. This can cause significant visible damage to your home or business. If you have unexplained holes in the wood around your house and notice fine sawdust nearby, it is a possible indication that you have a carpenter bee infestation. Look for these holes in wooden areas around your house or business such as your deck, swing set, eaves, siding, patio furniture, or any wood surface.

Carpenter bees create conditions that attract woodpeckers who feed on bee larvae within the wood Peachtree Pest’s Service Director. “If you have an issue with woodpeckers pecking on your house or shed, there’s a good chance they’re trying to get carpenters, silverfish or other insects.”

In Atlanta, Augusta, Fayetteville, Woodstock, Suwanee, Marietta, Hiram, and Aiken SC, carpenter bees can show up at your home or business in the spring and stay active throughout the summer. Female carpenter bees lay eggs in their nests during the warm months. As the cool weather approaches, they winter in the nests they created in the wood.

Without carpenter bee treatment, a new generation will emerge and repeat the cycle. Once eggs develop into adults, they leave the nest and go out on their own to bore more holes and lay more eggs.

Common areas around your home or business where carpenter bees tunnel include eaves, wood shingles, window and door trim, fascia boards, porches, decks, swing sets, wood railings, and fence posts. You can keep an eye out for carpenter bee activity around these areas once spring arrives by doing regular inspections. Discovering the presence of these pests around your property will allow you to act before they have the opportunity to cause widespread damage.

Carpenter bees prefer to build their nests in unpainted softwoods such as redwood, spruce, pine, cedar, cypress, and fir. Painting over areas of exposed wood can help you in your carpenter bee prevention efforts by making the wood less attractive to the female carpenter bee. Painting the wood on your building will provide an extra layer of protection against this destructive pest, but don’t fill in or paint over carpenter bee holes without having them treated professionally.

Successful carpenter bee prevention in Atlanta, Augusta, Fayetteville, Woodstock, Suwanee, Marietta, Hiram, and Aiken SC often requires the help of a professional carpenter bee professional. Before the spring arrives, you can bring in a pro to inspect your property for signs of previous carpenter bee activity. If nests are discovered, carpenter bee treatment can prevent the reemergence of these insects in the spring. When the weather warms up, a carpenter bee control professional can spot signs of activity and eliminate the carpenter bees before they do significant damage.

Peachtree Service Professionals perform a carpenter bee service over a 2-month period. The 1st service involves a detailed inspection of the structure and a targeted treatment of holes and surrounding areas to eliminate existing adults and larvae.

The 2nd service, approx. 1 month later, involves another inspection, hole treatment where needed. The final step is filling the previous holes with putty to deter carpenter bees from emerging from holes or reinfesting. The putty comes in 3 common colors to match as close as possible.

This service can involve intensive ladder work as carpenter bees often infest roofline areas. Our carpenter bee service has a warranty for 90 days, starting at the first service.

Peachtree Pest Control offers expert treatment designed to effectively and efficiently control and prevent pests from invading your home or business in Atlanta, Augusta, Fayetteville, Woodstock, Suwanee, Marietta, Hiram, and Aiken SC. Our use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques focuses on finding the core of the pest concern and controlling Carpenter Bees from the source. Through IPM, pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, pets, and the environment.

Call Peachtree Pest Control today for your FREE and NO OBLIGATION estimate at 855-732-2487 or Schedule Online today!