CARPENTER BEES
The Cooperative Extension Service receives numerous telephone calls each spring about the carpenter bee. Many aggravated homeowners call in total frustration about these bees because of their activities in and around the home.
Carpenter bees do resemble bumble bees, but the abdomen of the carpenter bee is entirely black and shiny and the bumble bee has an abdomen that is yellow and fuzzy. Please keep this in mind because bumble bees are needed to pollinate trees and shrubs.
In the spring, carpenter bees drill holes about 3/8 inch in diameter into wood. The most common places these holes are found are decks, eaves and siding.
The female carpenter bee will tunnel into the wood just a short distance (approximately 1/2 to 1 inch) and then turn and tunnel along the grain of the wood. In this tunnel, which could extend 6 - 18 inches long, she will place a mixture of pollen and nectar upon which she lays an egg. She then seals off that portion of the tunnel and repeats this process until the tunnel is full. The eggs hatch into larvae and will develop through the summer. The larvae mature into adults and emerge in the late summer.
Often while you are around these areas the male carpenter bee hovers close to protect the nest. The males can be identified by the white spot on their heads. One point to keep in mind is the males do not have the ability to sting.
Carpenter bees may be controlled by dusting or squirting an insecticide that is effective for controlling bees into each hole and then plugging the hole with steel wool, caulk, a dowel, or something similar. If the holes are not plugged, water may seep in during rainy periods leading to wood-rot or attract other pests, such as termites or carpenter ants. Another point to consider is that an open nest may be reused next year by another carpenter bee.
Carpenter bees can be a real nuisance to a homeowner, but they rarely cause structural damage unless the wood is infested repeatedly. Unfinished wood, older painted wood, and even wood that is stained and waterproofed may be attacked. I have even seen holes in lawn furniture.
There is no cost effective way to prevent carpenter bees from attacking exposed wood, because it is almost impossible to protect every square inch of wood area. The best approach to controlling carpenter bees are by treating the nest and plugging the entrance holes. The other option is to grab a tennis racket and practice your power stroke and follow through. Remember hand and eye coordination is everything when racket meets carpenter bee; this is the male carpenter bee you will be matching moves with, and he will not leave easily.
Mark Blevins , Horticulture
Agent
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