5 REASONS WHY CARPENTER BEES SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

HOW TO GET RID OF CARPENTER BEES INFESTATION

Carpenter bee infestation can damage the structural foundation of the house. Although the damage seems very subtle in the beginning it becomes significant when people notice it. Still, there are ways to get rid of carpenter bee infestation. 

The ways to get rid of carpenter bees infestation are:

• Apply a fresh coat of paint on the wooden surfaces. 
• Citrus oil works as a repellent so it can be used for stopping carpenter bees. 
• Destroy any bees and their larva if they have already nested. 
• Use carpenter bee traps to stop these bees from nesting. 

These are the ways to prevent carpenter bees infestation to save your house from damaging its foundation.

While most people have a natural caution about bees, their usefulness in the pollination of flowers and plants is very important and people often tolerate them. One particular kind of bee, the carpenter bee, offers another kind of threat to your home – it is capable of undermining its strength. It does not take long to do this damage, either.

Here are five reasons why you need to get rid of carpenter bees when you see them around your home.

1. THEY DRILL DEEP HOLES

The carpenter bee cuts tunnels into the wood parts of your home. The tunnels are made for their nests, and they will typically run between 8 to 12 inches long. New tunnels are made every year. The bees do not eat the wood, but merely bore holes and tunnels into it. Before long, a piece of wood that looks strong, is really not strong at all.

2. THE TUNNELS ARE LARGE

When you see a hole made by a carpenter bee, you will notice that it could be as large as 1/2 inch. You will also notice that it is nearly perfectly round, almost as if it were made by a drill bit. Then, when you imagine several of these tunnels running through a single board, you can understand why it no longer has the strength it needs to support your home. Of course, they also can make tunnels in siding, outdoor wood furniture, and other wood objects.

Carpenter bees can rather easily be identified by their differences in coloration. A bumblebee will be yellow and black, and it will have hair all over its body. In contrast, a carpenter bee has an abdomen that is usually all black, and there is not any hair on it. Some male carpenter bees may also have white faces. The bee is usually about one inch in length.

These bees will also usually live alone. They do not live in hives. In some cases, a mother and daughter bee will live in the same nest, and they will tend to share duties.

3. HOLES ALLOW WATER DAMAGE TO OCCUR

Once the holes have been made in the wood of your home, they no longer have the protective coating. Water can seep into the holes and start their damage. Naturally, the deeper the hole, the more damage that can be done from molds and rotting in a short time. The damage does not end with just mold, however, because molds can release mycotoxins, which can cause allergies, and some molds can even cause cancer.

4. WOODPECKERS WILL SEEK OUT THE LARVAE

Another problem with carpenter bees is that woodpeckers are attracted to the noise that the larva makes. They will drill holes along the tunnels to get to the larvae, which is sure to damage the wood even more and make its appearance very unattractive.

5. DAMAGE FROM CARPENTER BEES IS NOT ALWAYS EVIDENT

Because there are no large nests of bees, carpenter bees are often unseen. Although they may enter the wood through one hole, there may be extensive tunnels in the wood. It is also possible that the hole may not be seen easily, due to the location of the hole. This can make it dangerous if it is in a structure where weight can be placed on the boards – such as on a deck or porch. The wood may appear solid, but stepping on that board will cause it to break – and people will get hurt.

Carpenter bee damage can be spotted in three ways. First, by looking for the circular holes they make. Then, you can look for the wood shavings that will be on the ground under the hole. A third way is to look for yellow stains on the wood around your home. The bees eliminate waste before entering their nest, so there will often be stains right under the hole.

One very effective way that you can get rid of carpenter bees around your home is to use Carpenter Bee Traps from BeesNThings. The traps are complete and no chemicals or tools are needed. They are ready to use and will help solve your bee problem. The traps also come in an attractive design.