CARPENTER BEES:
PICTURE OF A CARPENTER BEE

Fact: Carpenter bees do not eat wood, but merely excavate cylindrical holes in the wood and typically create chambers within rafter tails, windows, fascia, siding, decks and other exposed wood members of a structure for their egg laying.

Fact: In the late spring and early summer, homeowners often notice large black bees hovering around their homes. This is usually a sign of a carpenter bee searching for a mate and a favorable site for nest construction.

Fact: The male carpenter bees seem quite aggressive, often hovering in front of someone. However, they are harmless since they lack a stinger. The female can inflict a painful sting, but rarely does unless continuously bothered.

Fact: Carpenter bees resemble bumble bees except the upper surface of their abdomen is bare and shiny black, while the bumble bee is hairy with yellow markings.

Fact: Bare, unpainted, weathered softwoods are preferred. The holes are cylindrical, about the size of a finger. They kick out coarse sawdust frass, the color of wood. The carpenter bee often re-infests abandoned chambers. The extent of their damage can be considerable.

Fact: The treatment remedy for this type of infestation usually consists of applying an aerosol or dust labeled for their control and filling up the holes with steel wool and calking.