At Thomas Pest Services we get a lot of calls from homeowners questioning 'black' bumble bees flying around the exterior of their homes, decks, and sheds. Our most likely answer will be that it sounds as though you don’t have a bumble bee infestation, but rather a carpenter bee infestation. Most commonly, the next question that they ask is “Do carpenter bees sting?" Well, let's take a peek at that issue and more importantly, the issue of how to get rid of these 'black bees.'
The short answer to the question of if carpenter bees can sting is yes, but there is more to the answer than just a quick yes. It is only the female carpenter bee that has the ability to sting and in general female carpenter bees are very docile and usually only sting if they are being directly handled or threatened. Male carpenter bees are not capable of stinging, however, they are very aggressive and will buzz around people’s heads in a very forceful manner when they are in 'protection' mode. In the rare instance that a carpenter bee sting occurs it should be treated like any other bee sting and if an allergic reaction occurs medical attention should be sought.
Carpenter bees may not be a huge threat in the stinging department, but that doesn’t mean that they are not trouble; in fact, carpenter bees can lead to extensive damage to decks, roof soffits, wood siding, and trim.
Carpenter bees are solitary insects, so they don't live in a nest with other carpenter bees, but they will nest near each other in the same pieces of wood. They damage structures by boring holes in wood to make a nest and lay their eggs in. They are especially attracted to wood that is not painted, stained or treated or wood that is starting to decay. These holes can weaken the structure of the wood, but most of the damages from of a carpenter bee infestation are actually cause by woodpeckers. Woodpeckers like to feed on carpenter bee larvae and are attracted to the rustling sounds of the larvae inside the holes. Woodpeckers peck at the holes making them larger and causing a lot of physical damage to the wood structure.
The best way to get rid of damaging carpenter bees from your property is through the help of a professional pest control expert. At Thomas Pest Services our professional have the knowledge and experience to locate and safely treat all carpenter bee's nests that are located on your property through our bee and wasp control services. Protect yourself, your family, and property from carpenter bees with the help of the New York bee control experts here at Thomas Pest Services.