Carpenter bees live in areas ranging from Florida to Arizona and across the country, including several Texas communities. These pests can cause significant damage to structures over time, so knowing how to identify and eliminate these bees will protect your property. Continue reading to learn more about carpenter bees and how professional pest control in The Woodlands can help eliminate them.
What Does A Carpenter Bee Look Like?
Carpenter bees in The Woodlands can cause significant damage over time, so identifying them protects wooden structures. These bees range from 1/4 to 1 inch long and are yellow and black. At first glance, they look similar to bumble bees, but their abdomens are different.
Bumble bees are similar in size to carpenter bees but have hairy yellow abdomens. Meanwhile, carpenter bee abdomens are smooth and shiny. There are seven different types of carpenter bees in the United States, and all are slightly different. When you spot these colorful bees on your property, call a professional bee control company to remove them.
The Problems Carpenter Bees Can Cause On Your Property
Carpenter bees rarely sting, so they’re usually not a health concern for people. However, these insects drill holes into wooden structures for their nests, causing damage over time. Since these pests are not social insects, they nest alone and only require small holes.
While these insects nest in wood, they don’t eat the substance. Instead, they eat honeydew or juices, making them similar to other types of bees. However, they can build nests in various kinds of wood, potentially causing damage to frames, eaves, and siding.
When these bees tunnel into the wood in structures, they’ll leave small round holes, which is the most common sign of an infestation. Call dependable pest control professionals when you see signs of carpenter bees on your property to avoid damage.
Factors That Attract Carpenter Bees To Your Property
Several factors will attract carpenter bees to your property. Despite their name, wood is not the only thing that might cause these insects to infiltrate a building. Some common factors that might lure carpenter bees include the following:
- Trees and flowers: Like most other bees, carpenter bees use nectar from trees and flowers to make honey or honeydew.
- Bare wood: Carpenter bees prefer untreated wood, so they’re less likely to impact painted or stained surfaces.
- House siding: Carpenter bees usually prefer softwoods used for house siding.
- Abandoned tunnels: Rather than building new tunnels, carpenter bees might use abandoned tunnels to build their nests.
- Untreated wood ends: Carpenter bees usually start at the end of wood planks and work their way in, so covering the ends with aluminum will keep them out.
If you have vegetation on your property, carpenter bees might be unavoidable. However, you can keep them away from a building by painting or staining the wood and closing any holes. Additionally, you can keep carpenter bees out by sealing cracks or gaps around windows and doors that can serve as potential entry points.
Once carpenter bees enter a structure, they can be hard to get out. Pest control professionals have the tools and experience to eliminate carpenter bees for good.
The Trick To Getting Rid Of Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees usually won’t sting like most other bees but can cause significant damage to a property over time. When you call All-Safe Pest & Termite, our professionally trained and licensed experts will inspect the interior and exterior of your building to find the bees and figure out how they got inside. We’ll provide the most effective treatment and follow-up visits to ensure success. Call us today to learn more about our stinging insect control services in The Woodlands.