Carpenter bees are large and fuzzy flying insects that can be intimidating when they approach. These insects are not on the lookout for you, they are more interested in your home. And that can be scarier than being chased by any other bee. These bee’s workmanship can be a real problem for any homeowner living in Jersey County, IL. Here we are going to go into more detail about these pests.
What Are Carpenter Bees?
Carpenter bees are big bees that have fuzzy heads and have a large black abdomen. These bees are very similar in appearance to bumble bees, but bumble bees are fuzzy all over unlike carpenter bees. The carpenter bee typically lives alone and will burrow nests inside of wooded structures. The carpenter bee will also not sting you, rather they tend to fly around and headbutt you if you provoke them.
Should You Be Worried About Carpenter Bees?
In short, you should generally be worried about carpenter bees, not for their temperament but instead for the damage they can do to the outside of your home or any other wooden property you have outdoors like play equipment or sheds. As mentioned before, carpenter bees drill holes into wooded structures such as homes and nest in them. These holes will be around a half-inch in diameter. Once the carpenter bee has made a nest, it can lay eggs in it. Whenever this pest hatches, they typically never leave the nest. You can tell you have a carpenter bee problem based on the following:
- Holes around the sides of your home.
- Scratching sounds from within your walls.
- Wood shavings on the ground under the holes.
How To Deal With These Pests
If you believe that the holes in your walls were caused by carpenter bees, you can use caulking to fill in the empty holes they made. It is important that you try to fill in some holes already created by nails or screws as carpenter bees are attracted to structures with holes that are already started for them to finish. You can also use paint or varnish on your untreated wood. If you are building something you want to protect from these pests, you can use treated wood. While it is not a foolproof cure, it can deter them from drilling any more holes in your wooded structures in your yard in Jersey County, IL.
Still having a carpenter bee problem in Jersey County, IL? Give our team of professional exterminators at IMEL Pest Control a call today!
