You have probably heard of carpenter bees but may not know much about them. What do carpenter bees look like? How do they behave? How big are their hives? Do you need to worry about them stinging your children? How can you get rid of them and keep them away? Here are some tips to help you identify and get rid of carpenter bees.
What Do Carpenter Bees Look Like?
Carpenter bees are big, slow-moving bees. Their shape and movement are like that of bumblebees. But, while bumblebees are yellow and black, carpenter bees are all black. They are shiny and almost hairless, while bumblebees have hair all over their abdomen.
How Do Carpenter Bees Behave?
Carpenter bees are unique in the bee world in that they do not live in hives. They are solitary creatures. A male and female will pair up and bore a hole in wood for their nest. After they mate, the female will bore several more holes to lay her eggs in. The bees will reuse these holes many times.
Male carpenter bees cannot sting, but they do tend to be more aggressive than females. Provoked females will sting if they are mad enough. However, if you steer clear of them and don’t disturb their nests, they will likely not come near you.
How Can You Get Rid of These Bees?
The best way to get rid of carpenter bees is to call a pest control professional. The most common treatment we use is a powdered insecticide puffed up into each hole. This eradicates the bees themselves and the eggs as well.
The best time to treat for these bees is in the spring. It’s best to treat when you first notice them buzzing around your wood trim pieces. A second treatment in the summer is a good idea, just in case the first treatment didn’t get all the eggs.
How Can You Prevent Carpenter Bees From Wrecking Your House?
When carpenter bees bore into your house, they release pheromones that lure them back. And when their young grow up inside your eaves, they will tend to come back to the same spot to make their own burrows. In other words, once they set up shop in your home, they come back again and again. Pest control companies can spray the affected area with potent insect repellents and quickly eliminate the problem.
Carpenter Bee Eradication and Prevention in North Atlanta
Worried about a carpenter bee colony terrorizing your backyard this summer? Call Think Green. Our team has the expertise to handle your carpenter bee problem. We commit to total customer satisfaction for all clients in North Atlanta and beyond. So if you see more bees after our first visit, call us and we will make it right.
Complete our contact form today to schedule your carpenter bee treatment.
