Carpenter Bees

Though Carpenter Bees are cute pollinators that can’t sting, they can still cause significant structural damage to wood structures. Don’t worry though because with these 5 methods below you’ll be on your way to preventing carpenter bee damage to your home!

1. Seal Potential Entry Points: Carpenter bees are attracted to untreated or weathered wood, making areas such as eaves, window trim, and siding prime targets for bee burrowing. Additionally, to deter these pests, you should start by inspecting your home for any pre-existing gaps, cracks, or openings in wooden structures and sealing them using caulk or wood filler. By being proactive and eliminating potential entry points for the bees, you can reduce the overall likelihood of them burrowing and establishing nests in your wood structures and causing excessive damage.

2. Paint or Stain Wooden Surfaces: Applying a fresh coat of paint or stain to wooden surfaces can help protect them from carpenter bee damage. You want to ensure you’re using products that contain insecticides or repellents specifically designed to deter carpenter bees and other wood-burrowing pests. Additionally, best practices include choosing light-colored paints and stains. They can make it more difficult for carpenter bees to locate and burrow into the treated woods because they are often attracted to darker woods like in their natural habitats.

3. Install Screening or Mesh: Another preventative method is to install fine mesh or screening over the most common vulnerable areas, such as vents, chimneys, and attic openings. Installing screens in these targeted areas can do wonders at preventing carpenter bees from gaining access to your home. A quick tip is to ensure that the mesh is securely fastened and free of any tears, gaps, or damage that can allow bees to bypass the screen barrier. This simple yet effective preventative measure can do wonders in significantly reducing the overall risk of carpenter bees doing damage to your home.

4. Hang Decorative Features Away from Structures: As mentioned before, we know that carpenter bees are attracted to wooden objects and structures. This can include decorative features and items such as birdhouses, trellises, and wooden furniture pieces. To minimize the risk of destruction you should make sure to hang or position these items away from your home or other valuable wooden structures. This way if they begin to try and burrow in those wooden decorations they won’t move on to the next closest thing, your house, and begin burrowing there as well. Alternatively, it would be wise to consider using non-wooden materials or treating all wooden materials with an insect-repellent coating to specifically deter carpenter bees altogether.

5. Schedule Regular Inspections: One of the biggest tips for keeping carpenter bee damage at bay is to make sure you schedule inspections and pest control treatments on your home by a professional pest control technician. Having your home routinely treated with pest control is the best way you can detect early signs of structure damage and carpenter bee activity. It can also help you prevent infestations and irreversible destructive structural damage before it’s too late. During these regular inspections, you can expect your technician to thoroughly examine your property and home for common signs of burrowing. These common signs include locating sawdust piles, and holes in wood, locating where carpenter bees are lingering about, and whether it’s around vulnerable wooden structures.

Lastly, our biggest tip for you is to keep a watchful eye and address potential issues early on. This is the best tactic in helping you avoid costly damage and ensure long-term protection against wood damage to your home.