How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees can cause extensive damage to wooden structures by boring in softwood, hardwood and decaying wood. They can be often seen near eaves, below decks, and around unpainted wood in homes. It becomes highly essential for home-owners to remain aware of the signs that their house has been infested by this pest and what can be done to eliminate them from the property. Read this article if you suspect a carpenter bee infestation in your house:

Identify a Carpenter Bee

These are some identifiers that can help you understand whether you have carpenter bees on your property:

• Carpenter bees resemble bumble bees. However, carpenter bees are large with yellow and black patterns on their body.
• These pests are about 3/4 inch to 1 inch in size. Their abdomens are shiny and hairless.

Signs of Carpenter Bee Infestations

These are some signs of a carpenter bee infestation in your home. If you come across even a single sign from the list given below, you should call a professional pest control expert immediately:

• Holes

These pests bore perfectly circular holes in wooden structures. The presence of smooth, round holes in walls and wooden structures can be a sign of these pests.

• Active bees

Carpenter bees are active near wooden surfaces, roofs, soffits and eaves. You may find bees also hovering near the edge of the roof which is another tell-tale sign of an infestation.

• Structural damage

Warping or cracking in wooden structures, railing, stairs, decks and porches is a sign of carpenter bees.

• Sawdust

Carpenter bees generate sawdust when they tunnel into a wooden material or structure. You can come across it on the ground, below your deck, around a door or window frame etc. However, sawdust also signifies termite activity which is why you should hire professional exterminators to inspect and verify it.

• Sounds

Carpenter bees continually drill bores through any wooden surfaces they can find in the house. As a result, there can be buzzing, humming and vibrating sounds coming from the insides of the walls which can be a sign of a carpenter bee colony in your premises.

• Droppings

Smudges of brown liquid dripping down your walls is a sign of a carpenter bee infestation. You should definitely opt for professional bee control if you happen to see such smudges on the surfaces of walls and wooden structures in your house.

How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Bees?

• Use insecticides to kill carpenter bees

It is best to spray insecticides in anticipation of an infestation beforehand or when you have come across colonies of carpenter bees in your home. It should be sprayed twice in the spring periods. Their effect should last for 2-3 months when protected from rain and natural elements.

Pyrethrum spray is also effective in getting rid of carpenter bees from homes. It is a potent insecticide that is permissible for organic gardening.

• Use carpenter bee traps

These traps are a pretty, safe and harmless method for eliminating bees. All you need to do is hang them over the hole. They will be able to enter it but wouldn’t be able to exit. You can make a trap using stationery available at home or purchase one from a hardware store near you.

• Seal the holes

Fill out all the holes in the house which were used by the bees. Wood putty, caulking agents, plugs can be used for sealing holes. Begin this process in the fall months. These pests may bore holes in newer places, if you carry out the sealing in an earlier period.

• Wet vacuum

You can use a wet vacuum to safely get rid of their nests from your property.

• Loud music and noise

Carpenter bees dislike absolutely hate loud noise and music. Set up a speaker right near their nests and play loud music over it for 2-3 days. The loud music and vibrations will make them leave the nests instantly. Doing that will also make sure that they would not return to the same location again. Be sure to fill in the holes with caulk or other suitable agents soon after.

• Essential oils

The fragrance of essential oils is repelling for carpenter bees too. You can spray the insides of the nests to make it unwelcoming for them.  After which you can hire a pest controller to have the remaining bees removed from the nests carefully and the access points sealed off.

Carpenter bee infestations can be tackled efficiently, if they are discovered earlier. However, trying to deal with the infestation without professional support can be more time-consuming and less effective.

Consult a professional bee control expert to avoid triggering any safety hazards for you and your family. Professional bee control service providers will ensure the whole infestation is eliminated. The damage can go on if there are even a few bees left undetected.