If you need any new cabinetry, furniture, or decorative wood pieces for your home, don’t think you’ll get these products from the carpenter bee. This is not what they are good at. Do Carpenter bees have a knack for getting in your way? Causing problems at the family BBQ? Destroying wood on your property? Carpenter bee season is still raging on and carpenter bee pest control could be your solution. Here are some fun facts about the aptly named “wood bee”
Carpenter bee nests
Carpenter bee nests look very organized and clean. The set up is almost like a regular home. There are rooms sectioned out and measured perfectly. Though carpenter bees rarely cause severe damage (like termites), they can still cause cosmetic and structural damages. Carpenter bee tunnels are usually 2-3 inches wide and can get up to 10 feet long. Significant damage usually happens when the same wood is infested year after year. Female carpenter bees dig new holes every year. Holes in the wood surfaces can invite moisture, intrusion, rotting, and decay. Carpenter bees prefer untreated wood. Though, they still will attack stained wood. Bees need to see or feel the grain of the wood to recognize it’s wood. Painted surfaces prevent the bees from being able to truly feel the grain. They usually live up to 3 years and will have 1-2 generations, and these new young will live with their mother. Young are generally born in August or so, and don’t leave the nest to do more than collect pollen, until winter.
Carpenter bees vs. Honey Bees
One way to tell the difference between honey bees and carpenter bees is the abdomen. Instead of the soft fuzz that covers most bees, they have a clean, glossy abdomen. They have fuzz around the head, but it becomes clean at the abdomen.
Carpenter bees do not live in colonies like honey bees. During the winter, honey bees will keep active within the hive, versus the carpenter bees digging deeper into the wood and hunker down for the winter. Those who survive come out, and mate. Female bees will then drill more holes into the wood, to make room for her and the young larva. Maturing happens over several weeks, while young bees eat regurgitated wood pulp and pollen. Both honey bees and carpenter bees eat pollen. Carpenter bees do not form colonies or hives like honey bees. Females build individual nests to lay eggs. Male Carpenter bees do not live long enough to need a nest. Carpenter bee nests are a lot like apartment buildings. They do not work together as a colony, but all live amongst one another, and are not aggressive towards nest members.
Carpenter bees hibernate in the winter
Carpenter bees are most active during spring and summer months while they pollinate and sparingly store food for the upcoming winter months. During fall the bees will elevate their stock pile of pollen and nectar, and store it in abandoned nest tunnels in preparation for “overwinter” (AKA hibernation).
Females have a stinger, but will rarely sting
Female carpenter bees are the only ones with a stinger. Luckily, it is very unlikely to get stung, unless you are agitating them or their burrows. Carpenter bee stinger contain bee venom. When you are stung you will feel a sharp pain, and a burning sensation. Much like any other bee, their stings can cause an allergic reaction. The bee venom is similar to that found in honey bees. Since carpenter bee stingers are not barbed, they can sting and inject venom multiple times. Though male carpenter bees have no stinger, they are quite aggressive when it comes to protecting the nest. Their most common attack is a swoop down on anyone who is in their way. They emit a loud buzzing as well, so it can be rather intimidating. They tend to hover around the nest, and will dart at any other insects that enter their territory.
Carpenter bees are pollinators
Many flowering plants in gardens, farms, and other areas are pollinated by carpenter bees. In fact, 15% of our agricultural crops are pollinated by native bees such as carpenter bees. The reason these bees are considered pests is because of the damages caused to wooden structures.
Carpenter bees-why they are not protected like honey bees
Though carpenter bees can and do pollinate, they are low pollinators. Meaning they do not pollinate as much as honey bees do. Honey bees pollinate 80% of crops, unlike the 15% that carpenter bees do. Carpenter bees are rather territorial, and will often “attack” honey bees by shoving them out of their own territory. If a nest is built in an area, where honey bees would normally be, carpenter bees will often scare them off from the high quantity of pollen.
Tunnels are built with a Carpenter bee’s strong jaws
Unlike honey bees, who build their hives with chewed beeswax, carpenter bees build their nests by drilling. They move their mandibles in circular patterns. Carpenter bees prefer to drill in wood at least 2 inches thick. Why? They will normally drill the entrance 1 inch in, and immediately take a right angled turn, where they build their nests. This makes sure that young and larva are safe from other insects looking for a quick grab and go. Carpenter bees have favorite types of wood. This includes; redwood, cedar, pine, and cypress. Carpenter bees like untreated and natural wood. They don’t like painted or varnished woods. If a female bee can find an old or abandoned nest, she will use that instead. Even though it only takes a few hours to drill a hole a few inches deep, carpenter bees prefer to move in asap. With bamboo, they will chew bits and pieces, and seal up holes, and begin to form the nest around them. As long as it is an unpainted or mostly untreated surface, carpenter bees will nest, and come back to those places.
Bees do not eat wood, but reuse particles to build cells or discard them
During the excavation process of building a nest, carpenter bees will often use the chewed up sawdust to build walls within the insides of the nests. Regurgitated wood is also used to feed young larva.
How to tell if you have Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bee holes are a tell-tale sign of a nest. Carpenter bees’ entry holes are about 1 inch deep. If you can find sawdust piles on the ground, and excrement stains on the wood below the holes, there’s a good chance you have the pests.
There are over 500 species
There are over 500 species of Carpenter bees all over the world. The largest species of carpenter is called xylocopa latipes. This specific species of carpenter bees have a ginger color over their body, and are covered in fuzz. They can be found in South East Asia. The wingspan is 1.5 inches, and their body is almost the size of a mouse.
There are only 3 species in the US
Most carpenter bee species are at least ¾ of an inch to an inch long. This includes the three species found in the US. The orchard mason bee, easter carpenter bee, and the valley carpenter bee.
Orchard Mason Bee-Orchard mason bees have a blue tint all over their body, and are covered in light fuzz. These bees are known as “megachilid” bee, which make nests in reeds and natural holes. Unlike most carpenter bees, it cannot drill. They are found in Eastern US and into Canada
Eastern Carpenter Bee-They nest in various types of wood, and eat pollen and nectar. These bees do not focus solely on egg-laying. This species of bee has a “queen”. They mainly focus on nest construction, foraging, and laying eggs. These bees are found in the southeastern US and into Canada as well.
Valley Carpenter Bee-Valley Carpenter Bees are very fuzzy, and get up to an inch in length. They are large and yellow. These bees can be found in California, Texas, and in eastern pacific islands.
There are 4 stages of a carpenter bees life
Egg-Female carpenter bees can lay up to 6 eggs total. They lay it into a “bread” which is made from pollen and nectar. They are sealed in a chamber and take 2-3 days to hatch.
Larva-Carpenter bees feed larvae “bee bread” which is made of regurgitated nectar and pollen. They mature inside, and it can take 12-18 days. Larvae encase themselves in silk, and mature inside.
Pupa-This phase is the phase of metamorphoses. During this inactive stage, young bees are rather vulnerable. Due to the intricate nests, and protectors right outside, it’s a safe place to be.
Adult-Adult carpenter bees hatch, they leave the nest, and look for new or old nests to drill, protect, and continue the carpenter bee life style.
Carpenter Bee Pest Control
Here at Green Pest Management, we are here to help you get back to protecting the wood on your commercial or residential property this summer—with carpenter bee pest control. We have treatments that will help keep these bees from doing what they do best and getting out of hand. Give us a call for a free carpenter bee pest control quote at 302-777-2390! We are happy to help.
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