Carpenter Bees

Live Carpenter Bee-Free with Pointe!

Pointe Pest Control is committed to keeping your home pest-free in every season. Our team of experienced and state-certified technicians are dedicated to providing safe and effective pest control services for the Western Illinois and Eastern Missouri areas. If a pest problem is not completely resolved after a visit, our technicians will return until it is eliminated.

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Gentle Giants

One pest whose physical threat level does not match its scary appearance is the carpenter bee. There are large and small varieties, but the large ones are the most common in populated areas. Large carpenter bees are the huge dark bees that buzz around certain flowering plants. They are about .75 of an inch to 1 inch long, with yellow hairs all over their abdomens. Carpenter bees can be metallic black, green, or bluish purple. The way to tell the difference between males and females is to look at the faces: females have black faces and males have yellow faces.

Carpenter bees are similar to carpenter ants in that neither of them actually eat the wood they are gnawing through for their nests. This is why carpenter bees are seen gathering nectar from flowers, like other bee species. Despite their terrifying appearance, carpenter bees rarely sting. Only females have stingers, but they will not use this defense mechanism unless they are handled. The real threat of carpenter bees is the sheer number of holes they can chew into a piece of wood.

A Wooden Retreat

Possibly the biggest difference between carpenter bees and other bees is the fact that carpenter bees do not live in a hive. They are solitary insects, meaning there is one bee family per wood cavity, rather than a whole colony. The female searches for a site in mid-spring, and will chew an entry hole in the wood she finds. Once inside the wood, the female will tunnel deeper and put bee bread at the end. This is a mixture of pollen and nectar that will feed the young bees after they hatch from the eggs that the female places on the bee bread. Each egg-and-bread combination sit alone in fortified cells that are separated by the female’s chewed wood.

The hatchlings eventually grow into adults, then chew through the layers of wood to emerge in late summer. The tunnels will be carved deeper with every new generation of bees, which starts each spring after the adults overwinter in the same tunnels. Carpenter bees can only invade unpainted wood, as they need the fibers to be unaltered in order to properly chew through them. To prevent any wooden structures in your home or yard from becoming weakened, the best step to take is to schedule Pointe Pest Control’s efficient services.

What’s the Buzz?

Like their bee brethren, carpenter bees feed upon pollen and nectar as their only food sources. But they have the advantage of not needing to feed a whole colony or make honey, so they just have to gather enough for their eggs and themselves. Carpenter bees pollinate the flowers they visit, due to the amount of pollen that collects on their large bodies. But this size comes with a catch, as it also limits the types of flowers they can visit.

Carpenter bees cannot dive inside tubular flowers, which explains why their favorite flowers are long and accessible. Their most frequently visited plants include lavender, poppies, golden day lilies, and blueblossom. On warm mornings, carpenter bees will use buzz pollination to gather nectar. This is when they loudly buzz on or near flowers so the plants will release the pollen and nectar easily. The concept of pollination is not the issue, but carpenter bees are notorious thieves. They can cut a slit with their mouths in the base of tubular flowers, consume the nectar, and leave the flower without paying it forward through pollinating. Pointe Pest Control is here to ensure that your beautiful gardens don’t shrivel at the hands – or mouths – of these bees.

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Initial Inspection

We will inspect the property for holes in wood, as well as any live carpenter bees.

Thorough Treatments

We will then dust the gallery holes within reach, using a light touch to treat for each bee.

Guaranteed Results

Since we re-treat each tunnel before sealing, we guarantee you will be satisfied with the outcome.

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The Specialties of Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees and bumblebees have been mistaken for each other on occasion, purely based on their appearances. Both are larger, fuzzy bees that buzz loudly near flowers. But carpenter bees are much different than bumblebees in just about every way. Bumblebees are essential pollinators through their diligent nectar-gathering, while carpenter bees only pollinate as an occasional bonus. The yellow and black fuzz covering the bumblebees is more visually appealing than the slight fuzz and shiny coloring on carpenter bees.

The clearest distinction between the two bees is their home lives. Bumblebees live in their underground hives with hundreds of other bumblebees, many of whom also live to gather nectar and pollen. They have one queen that produces all of the eggs in the colony. As previously established, carpenter bees are solitary and only live in their crafted tunnels with their family units. Bumblebees are more likely to sting in defense of their nest, while carpenter bees will just intimidate through incessant buzzing. When we provide pest control, our knowledgable technicians use the habits of carpenter bees to treat for them, not just any bee.

Blocking Out the Bees

It may seem hopeless to prevent carpenter bees from invading, since everyone has some kind of wood in the house and yard. These bees invade decaying trees, fences, bannisters, eaves, decks, and windowsills. The most straightforward way to prevent carpenter bees from invading is to paint any exposed wood. They will not want to chew holes through a layer of paint. Staining and other light coats may help, but paint is typically the most effective covering.

As with other wood-boring insects, it is beneficial to check often for any new holes or damage to exposed wood. Carpenter bees work fast in the warm months, so they can establish tunnels within a few days. Fill any cracks and gaps in the house to keep them out during the spring nesting season. When opening the doors and windows for fresh air, make sure the screens are free of rips and holes. Patch any imperfections or replace the full netting if there are too many. Carpenter bees are generally docile, but living with them indoors is not a fun time.

The Tailored Treatments of Pointe Pest Control

When treating for carpenter bees, our team takes care to ensure that we actually treat all of the bees, rather than just a few. Our technicians begin carpenter bee services like any other pest service: with a thorough inspection of the property to check for damage, entry points, and live pests. Once we find all of the holes created by carpenter bees, we create a personalized treatment plan for your property layout and bee situation.

Any gallery holes created by carpenter bees will receive our dust treatments that are within reach while standing on the ground. If the holes are too high to reach, we will suggest hiring a carpenter (a person, not a bee) to fill the holes and paint. In the case of the wood having too many holes to count, we may suggest replacing it altogether if possible. Next, we use a light touch with our treatments to treat any tunnels. Too much product can cause the bees to avoid the area, and they will emerge with the chemical application anyway. We will also re-treat the tunnels before sealing them to ensure that the pesticides reach the carpenter bees before they can chew their way out. Between the risk of wood damage and damaged flowers, it is worth it to schedule carpenter bee services with our caring team at Pointe Pest Control.

Very Professional

Had a great experience! We had a carpenter bee problem and it was taken care of along with spraying around the house. Very professional and thorough!

Elise Scott

Arlington Heights

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Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bees

Live Carpenter Bee-Free with Pointe!

FREE PEST CONTROL QUOTE

Gentle Giants

A Wooden Retreat

What’s the Buzz?

Contact An Expert Today!

Initial Inspection

Thorough Treatments

Guaranteed Results

The Specialties of Carpenter Bees

Blocking Out the Bees

The Tailored Treatments of Pointe Pest Control

Very Professional

Free Pest Control Quote

Contact Us Form

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customer care

Email Us

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services

customer care

Email Us

Get Directions