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Can
they Damage My Home?
The first question most customers ask once they have established
that the infestation they are dealing with is Carpenter Bees is "can they do structural damage to my house?" The
majority of the time the answer is no, but if left for enough generations, they can tunnel through several feet of wood and
can compromise the structural integrity of beams, boards and columns. First a little about the Carpenter Bee. Carpenter Bee Life
Cycle Carpenter Bees are not social
creatures so they do not form colonies. There is only one generation per year and the new adults survive the winter in old
nests. When choosing a nesting site, Carpenter Bees prefer to build upon and expand former galleries rather than create
new ones, hence the threat of multiple generations doing damage to property, but unlike termites, Carpenter Bees do not eat
wood. They bore into it for the purpose of laying their eggs and will use the chewed up wood to seal the cells containing
their eggs. After they emerge in the spring
time, the Carpenter Bee begins to mate and the fertilized females begin the excavation process of boring into wood and creating
the cells or chambers for their eggs. Each cell contains only one egg and the chambers are provisioned with a ball of nectar
and pollen which the egg is laid upon. There is sufficient food for the larvae to mature to adulthood and a female will create
between 6-10 cells in a gallery after which she will usually die. The new born's will usually emerge once late in the
season to gather pollen to overwinter until they emerge the following spring. The fact that they are not social creatures and there is only one generation per year makes the Carpenter
Bee more of a nuisance to property than a eminent threat, but the fact that they prefer old nests to new ones means an infestation
should be dealt with as soon as it is seen.
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Looks Like
a Bumble Bee
Carpenter bees are often confused for Bumble Bees, and while they do
look similar, the Carpenter Bee does not have the yellow hair  or bands around its abdomen that distinguishes the Bumble Bee. The Bumble Bee also likes to build its nests in the ground
and you will not find a Bumble Bee boring into your beams or boards. The problem for homeowners
is that she likes to bore into wood and creates her nests inside the caverns she carves out. The boring holes can be up to
1/2 inch in diameter, and if left alone she will continue to bore her way further into wood beams and boards and lay her eggs.
She starts by boring against the grain for a couple of inches and then makes a 90° turn and bores with the grain for another
six or so inches to create the tunnel or gallery. She can bore about an inch per week. Once the gallery is excavated, she
begins to create Brood Cells, provides the regurgitated nectar and pollen ball upon which the egg is laid and is sealed up
with chewed wood pulp. If you have Carpenter Bees building on your property, call Willie the Bee Man for complete removal!!! 1.888.9 NO BEES 1.888.966.2337
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