Wood Carpet Bees

The common name carpenter bee derives from their nesting behavior.

Wood carpet bees.

Get rid of carpenter bees yourself in just two steps. Carpenter bees do not feed on wood but bore into it to create nesting galleries where they lay eggs in the spring and take shelter in the winter. And unlike honey or bumble bees carpenter bees nest in wood rather than in the ground matts says so they leave behind round drill like holes. To identify early damage to buildings homeowners should regularly inspect the perimeter of the home and surrounding property for the presence of these holes and hovering bees.

Painted wood is slightly better at discouraging infestation than stained wood but the difference is effectively marginal. Plug existing holes to prevent a future worker bee infestation. Nearly all species burrow into hard plant material such as dead wood or bamboo. Paint or stain with varnish any untreated wooden surfaces outside that may attract carpenter bees.

The holes carpenter bees create may seem small on the outside but the galleries are much bigger and more damaging than meets the eye. Carpenter bees are species in the genus xylocopa of the subfamily xylocopinae the genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. Spray wooden surfaces with. Signs of an infestation.

Use a carpenter bee spray to kill active wood boring bees combined with an insecticide dust application in the holes.