HOW CARPENTER BEES DRILL HOLES
NEWTOWN PA

Carpenter bees are a common pest in Newtown. When they invade, it is possible that extensive structural damage may be caused.

People sometimes mistake the beneficial bumblebee for a carpenter bee, which is why it is always sensible to ask a pest management professional to deal with bee problems. This way, it is possible to protect helpful species like the bumblebee while still eliminating potentially harmful species like carpenter bees.

Why do carpenter bees cause property damage? It turns out that it is in their nature to do so. They do not mean to destroy the wood in structures; they are just looking for places to nest. While the carpenter bees do not mean to undermine the integrity of buildings, they manage to do so on a regular basis. This means that it is essential to know why carpenter bees do what they do and how to stop them.

HOW DO CARPENTER BEES MAKE HOLES IN WOOD?

Carpenter bees are equipped with extraordinarily strong mandibles. These enable the insect to dig into wood. Still, it is common for the female carpenter bee to select wood that is already damaged or wet. This wood is weaker and easier to chew, making the carpenter bee's job one that doesn't require so much effort.

The carpenter bee mandibles are designed to move in a circular direction. Accordingly, they drill holes that appear to be perfectly round. Within five days, the carpenter bee can drill approximately one inch into the surface of the wood.

Carpenter bees then begin drilling in the direction of the wood's grain, essentially perpendicular to the opening hole. Drilling with the wood grain is an easier process than drilling across the grain. It is common for the carpenter bee to drill more than one tunnel off of the opening hole.

WHY DO CARPENTER BEES MAKE HOLES IN WOOD?

Carpenter bees do not cause damage to wood simply for the sake of being destructive. Instead, they are creating a nest for their eggs. This means that these insects may use a fence, deck, outdoor furniture, siding and other wooden structures as a nursery.

Accordingly, it is imperative that the hole is deep enough to protect the eggs and larvae. After digging the hole and tunnels, the carpenter bee gathers pollen from flowers in nearby landscaping. The pollen is rolled into a tiny ball than is then rolled to the end of one of the tunnels. A single egg is laid with the pollen ball, and then the egg is sealed up with the pollen. The female carpenter bee repeats the process until the entire tunnel is filled with eggs and the pollen that the young need for sustenance.

HOW LONG DO CARPENTER BEES NEED TO DRILL HOLES?

A female carpenter bee requires five days to complete an entrance hole in a wooden surface. This time period may be shorter or longer depending upon how soft the wood is. The female typically chooses wood that is softer or already at least somewhat damaged to make her job quicker. Some of the most common types of wood that are likely to be susceptible to damage by carpenter bees include cypress, pine, cedar and redwood. Additionally, any wood that is untreated and natural is more vulnerable.

Females generally select wood that has a thickness of at least two inches. This gives them plenty of room to excavate a one-inch deep hole. Next, they make a right-angle turn before digging a tunnel in which eggs and balls of pollen will be placed. The time period required to dig a tunnel remains at approximately one inch per five or six days. Some tunnels can grow to be several inches long in a single season.

WHEN ARE CARPENTER BEES LIKELY TO MAKE HOLES?

It is most common to see carpenter bees drilling new holes in the spring. Usually, males and females emerge from existing nests in wood early in the season. They have a short period of time in which to mate.

Immediately afterward, the female begins looking for a suitable place to build a nest. The male's work is not quite done at this point. It is his responsibility to guard the female as she builds the nest. He may fly around in an aggressive manner that can seem very threatening to people. This display is all for show as the male is not equipped with a stinger. Still, his behavior can be unnerving.

Carpenter bee females are likely to make additional holes in wooden structures that already received damage in earlier years. If the infestation has been ignored for long enough, the level of damage can become catastrophic. Some structures, depending upon their size and overall condition, can be virtually destroyed by many seasons of damage caused by generations of carpenter bees.

IS PRESSURE TREATED WOOD VULNERABLE TO CARPENTER BEES?

Many property owners mistakenly believe that pressure treated lumber is immune to the ravages of carpenter bees. Unfortunately, this simply is not the case.

Pressure treated wood is a useful building material that is well protected against fungi that normally would cause it to decay. Moreover, many insects that eat wood are repelled by pressure treated lumber.

This is why it is so critical to understand that carpenter bees do not eat wood. Instead, they eat a diet of nectar and pollen. Wood is simply chewed up and discarded as the female builds a nest. Thus, the carpenter bee will build a nest in wood that has been pressure treated.

The good news is that the carpenter bee is less likely to nest in pressure treated wood if totally untreated wood is available in the same general location. This preference probably is owed to the fact that pressure treated lumber tends to be denser than untreated wood. Pressure treating also may serve to mask the wood's natural odor, perhaps fooling the female into believing that the material is not wood at all.

Whether carpenter bees are invading pressure treated lumber or untreated wood, it is essential that their activities be stopped early to prevent wholesale damage.

ARE HOLES MADE BY CARPENTER BEES DEEP?

Most carpenter bee holes go as deep as approximately one inch into the wood. This is a sufficient depth to protect eggs and larvae from the elements and potential predators. Wood that is at least two inches thick generally is chosen for drilling because this wood is thick enough to provide adequate protection.

While the hole may be as much as one-inch deep, it is possible for carpenter bee nests to be quite extensive. At least one tunnel will be excavated off of the entrance hole. A tunnel may be several feet long. Typically, several tunnels will branch off from a single entrance hole, and each of these may be far reaching. This means that it is always advisable to arrest carpenter bee activity in its earliest stages or to discourage the pests' presence before it becomes an issue.

DO MORE THAN ONE CARPENTER BEE LIVE IN THE SAME HOLE?

Females of the species much prefer wood that is untreated, unpainted and in generally poor condition. Effectively, this wood is softer and much easier for the carpenter bee to excavate.

Such wood may be found in trees, but carpenter bees are known for attacking anything that is made of wood including fences, decks, outdoor furniture, eaves, siding and roofing shakes.

Certain pieces of wood may be used for nesting over the course of years. Property owners may observe wood that is marred by many one-half inch diameter holes in the surface. The damage actually goes much further than that, with each hole having the potential to provide access to many tunnels.

Additionally, these holes may invite unwanted moisture, which leads to decay and rot.

SHOULD YOU PLUG HOLES MADE BY CARPENTER BEES?

It is wise to plug holes that carpenter bees make in wood. The best time to do so is in the spring when the holes are new and no tunnels have been completed yet as this minimizes the damage done. Property owners are encouraged to perform regular inspections of the premises to detect the presence of new holes.

Most carpenter bee nest holes can be plugged with a small dowel and carpenter's glue. The dowel may be cut off so that the end is flush with the wooden surface. The wood may then be stained or painted to protect it against future infestation.

If many holes are present, then the most sensible course of action is to have a pest control technician treat the individual holes before they are filled.

WILL CARPENTER BEES REUSE HOLES?

Existing carpenter bee holes absolutely make life easier for the new generation of pests. Although some holes will be reused, there may not be enough to go around. This means that the current generation also will construct new holes and tunnels, considerably exacerbating the damage.

If the holes are plugged and the openings are then painted over, the carpenter bees will not be able to use them. Ensuring that all wood on the property is painted or stained is an excellent way to minimize damage as the carpenter bees will have to look elsewhere for nesting habitat.

DO CARPENTER BEES DRILL HOLES IN SOIL?

Carpenter bees do not dwell in the ground. People who see what appears to be bee nests in the ground are probably dealing with a different species. If these bees are presenting a danger to people in the area, it may be wise to ask a pest management professional to relocate the nest.

HOW WE TREAT FOR CARPENTER BEES

Proper carpenter bee control involves a series of steps, including the application of insecticides, dusts, and the sealing of existing holes. The selected insecticide is used as the initial form of treatment, followed by the injection of a specific dust formulation which provides residual protection. Finally, entrance holes are plugged after the carpenter bee colony has been given sufficient time to distribute the treatment products throughout the nest area.

Newtown Termite & Pest Control utilizes a multi-faceted approach to eradicating the unwanted bees. When combined, the processes work together to ensure that your Newtown home or office remains a pest-free environment.

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