HOW TO GET RID OF CARPENTER BEES
Carpenter Bees
Xylocopa species
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| Carpenter Bee |
Carpenter Bee Habits Long Island, New York
Eastern carpenter bees are all black, with yellow hair on their thorax and a smooth, shiny abdomen. Apart from bumblebee queens, they are the largest bees native to the United States.
Unlike bumblebees, carpenter bees are solitary insects and do not live in large colonies. Female carpenter bees bore tunnels into wood to construct nesting galleries and deposit the chewed frass outside their burrows. The nesting behavior of carpenter bees weakens and damages wooden structures.
Although solitary, carpenter bees create nests close to each other. Male carpenter bees do not possess a stinger but vigorously guard the nest's entrance, causing alarm in humans residing nearby.
Carpenter bees hibernate during the winter and mate upon emergence in the spring — cleaning out old tunnels and expanding them to create new brood chambers for their offspring. Each female carpenter bee creates six to eight chambers, depositing her eggs on top of bee bread, a mixture of pollen, and regurgitated nectar. Larvae typically hatch in August to feed on nearby nectar before returning to their tunnels for winter hibernation.
Where Do Carpenter Bees Live?
Carpenter bees typically make their homes in windowsills, doors, decks, roof eaves, fascia boards, shingles, railings, telephone poles, and even wooden patio furniture. If you see a bumblebee-like insect flying under the eaves of your Long Island home or hovering in one spot, chances are you’ve spotted a carpenter bee.
Signs of a carpenter bee infestation are the presence of perfectly round half-inch holes that they create in weather-beaten wood, usually softer varieties such as pine, cypress, cedar, and redwood. Carpenter bee tunnels are generally against the wood's grain.
Are Carpenter Bees Dangerous?
Although they don't pose a public health threat, carpenter bees can damage wood via their nest-building habits and cause structural damage to beams and furnishings around your Nassau County, Long Island home.
While the damage to your property may appear cosmetic, these carpenter bee tunnels will expand and branch out over the years, resulting in considerable structural damage.
Compounding the issue, woodpeckers prey upon carpenter bee larvae, so much of the damage you see could be the result of woodpeckers attempting to break into carpenter bee tunnels and galleries. If you spot a woodpecker on your Long Island residence, you may have a carpenter bee infestation.
Despite their bad reputation, carpenter bees are important pollinators of flowers.
Do Carpenter Bees Sting You?
Female carpenter bees are capable of stinging. However, female carpenter bees are ordinarily docile and rarely sting unless directly provoked, handled, or swatted.
Males carpenter bees can be aggressive when protecting their nests but are harmless because they don't have stingers.
Carpenter Bee Infestation and Prevention
Carpenter bees prefer untreated weathered wood, so painting and staining wood can prevent a carpenter bee infestation. Citrus spray, lavender oil, tea tree oil, and almond oil are also effective carpenter bee repellents.
Since it does not contain wood, vinyl siding may be a good option for keeping carpenter bees away from your residence. Hardwoods such as oak, ash, and maple also prevent carpenter bee inhabitations since they are too dense for boring.
To prevent carpenter bees from returning, replace any damaged wood, keep wood painted and well-maintained, and watch for new carpenter bee activity.
Get Rid of Carpenter Bees Nassau County, Long Island
Getting rid of carpenter bees on Long Island can be a challenging endeavor. Without the proper training, equipment, and restricted use pesticides, removal of a carpenter bee infestation from your Nassau County, Long Island residence is a project that is destined to fail. Therefore, you should contact the carpenter bee removal experts at Long Island Bee Removal for professional pest control services. Our Long Island carpenter bee removal specialists have an extensive knowledge of carpenter bee control techniques and many years of experience locating carpenter bee nests and selecting the appropriate treatment method.
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