Known for their aggressive behaviour towards humans, the carpenter bee’s sting isn’t the only thing you need to worry about!
Only female carpenter bees can sting. However, while painful, the stings from the females are not the only thing you need to be concerned about with this type of bee. Keep on reading to find out more!
The dangers of carpenter bees
In answer to the questions above, yes, carpenter bees do sting humans. Indeed, it’s the female of the species that can sting, and as they don’t lose their stinger in the process they can do so multiple times. Of course, multiple bee stings are never a good thing and can cause severe reactions.
However, it’s also worth noting that females will only sting humans when they feel as if their nest is in danger. That means you can pretty easily avoid a sting from a carpenter bee by not disturbing their nest!
Sadly, the risk that carpenter bees pose to humans isn’t only in their sting. This is because they can also wreak havoc in your home, with the damage caused by nesting, and stained caused by their feces.
Carpenter Bee Behaviour
Carpenter bees are very active from early spring through summer around houses and other wooden structures. These insects bore one-half-inch wide holes that appear to be perfectly round on exterior wooden surfaces of house siding, eaves, window trim, fascia boards, shingles, decks, and outdoor furniture. However, they aren’t eating the wood but making a place in which to house their eggs as they hatch into larvae.
Signs Of An Infestation
The good news is it’s pretty easy to tell if there is a problem. Of course, one way of doing this is to look out for the holes they leave in the wood. These tend to be around an inch deep and you will often find small sawdust piles close to them.
Additionally, carpenter bee feces are known to stain wood. Therefore if you find wood with brown-yellow stains, particularly, if they are around small holes it’s likely that you have an infestation on your hands.
How To Prevent A Carpenter Bee Infestation
Before we discuss how to rid your home of a carpenter bee infestation, it’s best to understand how to minimize the likelihood that one will occur:
Paint the wood – carpenter bees find it harder to grip onto painted wood, and they prefer untreated surfaces.
- Get noisy – carpenter bees are sensitive to noise and too much will deter them from nesting in a certain area and can even cause them to leave. Invest in a noise machine for this purpose.
- Shut your doors in spring – it’s harder for carpenter news to get inside if and find places to lay their eggs if you keep your home doors shut.
- Keep food and trash covered – carpenter bees are attracted to sugary foods. By cutting off their supply you will discourage them from entering your home.
Getting rid of a carpenter bee infestation
As they are good for the ecosystem, it is best that you do everything you can to avoid an infestation of carpenter bees. However, if you do find yourself with an infestation on your hands, you do risk significant damage to your property, and being stung if you try to deal with the nest yourself.
To that end seeking the help of a pest management specialist https://www.oldbaypestcontrol.com/ is the fastest and most efficient way of dealing with the problem.
