Carpenter Bees
Serving Greater Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas
724-935-5444 - North and East
412-571-3090 - South and West
Serving Greater Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas
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Carpenter Bees

Professional Carpenter Bee Removal

The carpenter bee is one of the very first stinging insects to make an appearance during the season (April to June). Very similar in appearance to a bumble bee, the carpenter bee has a black shiny abdomen and is overall quite robust in form. Carpenter bees can be easily identified by their hummingbird-like flight or overwhelming interest in the wood structures or trim around the home (soffit and fascia around gutters and the undersides of elevated decks).

Carpenter bees, also known as "wood bees" or "boring bees," get the name from their habit of boring into wood to create galleries or tunnels to lay eggs. The entrance to these galleries is typically 3/8 of an inch in diameter (similar to a tube of Chapstick) and is seemingly perfectly round – as if created with a carpenter’s drill.

Carpenter bees are not social and do not live in hives or colonies. In fact, it is not uncommon to witness males disputing territory by engaging in aerial battle with other carpenter bees. They can be quite territorial with humans as well, often hovering a short distance in front of the face or buzzing one's head. If left alone, carpenter bees will destroy the wooden structures of one’s home, resulting in costly repairs. Log homes and cedar clad homes are particularly susceptible.

Identifying Carpenter Bees

  • Yellow and black with a shiny abdomen
  • Quite large (around 1 inch in length) and round in form 
  • Most active in May and June
  • Resembles a hummingbird or helicopter in flight
  • Often witnessed "battling" each other in the air a few feet from the wooden soffit and fascia of the home
  • Sawdust is found below nesting sites as the queen chews (sometimes loud enough for you to hear) the wood trim of the structure
  • Yellow to brown splattering evident below the entrance to the chewed tunnel (this splattering may resemble the shape of firework plumes enjoyed on the Fourth of July)
  • Jagged elongated holes in face of infested wood may appear due to young chewing their way out or wood peckers digging in for an easy meal
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Carpenter Bee Prevention Program

Carpenter bee removal and control has proven to be one of the most difficult projects for DIYers across Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. The most valuable asset one can have in his or her repertoire when it comes to carpenter bee removal and control is experience. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it is something The Bee Man knows well. This is why you need my professional bee extermination services.

The most valuable, effective approach in carpenter bee control is prevention - treating the areas of the home prone to invite and provide nesting areas for carpenter bees is crucial and my carpenter bee prevention program does just that. Prevention also entails keeping a vigilant eye open around your home, especially if you have had a carpenter bee infestation in the past; previously infested areas of the home tend to invite other carpenter bees from the neighborhood. 

If your home has an existing carpenter bee infestation, careful and meticulous treatment of each individual hole / tunnel must be completed. Carpenter bee removal and control can be quite frustrating for a home owner, especially if he or she is going at it alone. Let the years of experience that The Bee Man can provide assist you in protecting your investment.      

A Quick Tip for Identifying Carpenter Bees

A tell-tale sign of an established carpenter bee infestation isn’t seeing carpenter bees at all but woodpeckers. Woodpeckers dig into the surface of an infested area in an attempt to eat carpenter bee larvae heard moving inside of the tunnels. Once the infestation site reaches this stage, the wood will most likely need to be replaced. Preventing it from reaching this stage is of utmost importance. 
Call Now To Be Carpenter Bee Free
The Bee Man offers affordable and competitively priced bee removal services that are backed by a written warranty.
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