What Are Carpenter Bees?

Sonja: "Spring and summer is the time that people will think that they have bumble bees around their home. More than likely, it's carpenter bees. They are a little bit bigger than bumble bees, they tend to have a shinier back, as opposed to fur or hairy back."

Steve: "I have seen from a distance a shed and wood is just pouring out of the bottom belly of a 2x4. Mrs. Carpenter Bee was boring her cavity to deposit her larvae in there. She was working it. These female bees, they actually have a black face, they do carry a stinger, but they're very reluctant to utilize it. The male carpenter bee, on the other hand, he's got a little bit of a yellow face and he will dive bomb you like a fighter plane. He has no stinger, he's just trying to scare you away from the nest."

"One of the bigger problems is Mr. Woodpecker. He will see that hole and he will go to it, or she, and she will bore into that stud and you'll see little pop, pop, pop, pop, pop."

"We have developed a very good protocol for treatment of these guys. First, having that discussion with the homeowner and what you can do as far as protecting your deck and having a good exterior finish on there. They love decks or wood, cedar, pine that doesn't have any material on it. If you get a good exterior Thompson's Water Sealer or a paint on there, they'll start boring and they'll pull out."

Sonja:  "We can come out to help you treat the holes that they have already made in your wood. We can put materials up there. As the carpenter bees are flying in and out of the holes to take care of their larvae, they will get the material on them and it'll help kill them off. To prevent more from coming in, we recommend that you give it a few days, go in behind us and fill in the holes with wood putty and paint or stain over it. That should prevent more from coming out and doing more damage to your wood."