Bees love flowers. They don’t eat wood. So, why should you have to worry about bees damaging your home? Well, those carpenter bees don’t attach nests to the side of your home like paper wasps. And they don’t establish their nests in the ground like some yellow jackets do. They create their nests in wood. If they choose the wood of your home, you may find yourself dealing with the unwanted repercussions.

When carpenter bees target a home, they usually target untreated wood. That means decks, porches, outbuildings, sheds, outside steps, fences, and other external structures are their first choice.

When carpenter bees make a nest, they prefer to tunnel upwards into wood. These tunnels go up a couple inches and then take a turn to follow the grain of the wood. This is usually horizontal to the ground.

While a carpenter bee tunnel is only likely to be about a foot or two in length, and only about the width of a nickel, the problem with these bees is that they prefer to use existing tunnels and expand on them. If you have multiple bees boring into the wood of your property, or carpenter bees visiting you year after year, the damage can become significant.

Most Common Carpenter Bee Damage

• If these bees tunnel up into a railing on a porch or balcony, it can cause the railing to lose integrity and give way. This can lead to injury.
• If carpenter bees make their nests in steps, it can cause a step to snap. And, like a rail that is not sound, this kind of damage can lead to physical damage.
• When carpenter bees bore their tunnels into support beams, these beams can weaken and cause the larger structure to warp. And, if left untreated, damage done to support beams may cause a collapse to occur. Usually, the evidence of carpenter bees is seen long before the risk of such an occurrence. Carpenter bees often make tunneling to breach the interior of wood. This damage can look like dashes, dots, or trenches. Unlike termites, carpenter bees don’t have to worry about being exposed to the air outside of their tunnels.
• If you see circular holes that are about the size of a nickel, it is likely that you’re looking at the hole of a carpenter bee. This will most often be found underneath structures, or in rafters.

If you’re seeing signs of carpenter bee infestation, let us know. The team here at Active Pest Control is trained in the most advanced pest control methods for dealing with this and other invasive pests. Reach out to us for immediate assistance.