How Bad Is It To Have Carpenter Bees On My Chicago Property
When carpenter bees come into your yard, it may not be bad at all. Like all bees, and especially big, fat bees, they're helpful for pollination. The problem is when they decide to live on your property or, more accurately, "inside" your property. Today, we're going to discuss a few facts you might not know about carpenter bees and share with you why it could be bad when these bees come into your yard.
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Carpenter Bees Tunnel A Short Distance
Do you know that a carpenter bee only creates a fresh tunnel that is 4 to 6 inches long? It's true. Female bees bore a circular hole that goes up only a short distance and turns at a right angle and goes for a short distance after that. When these bees first start drilling into the wood of your home, the damage won't be bad. But, over time, carpenter bees make old tunnels longer. If they're left untreated, their tunnels can grow to be as long as 10 feet! So, how bad is it to have carpenter bees on your property? It depends on how long you have them.
Carpenter Bees Prefer Unpainted Wood
Do you know that carpenter bees will turn their noses up at timbers that have been painted? Female bees are looking for unpainted wood. If you have a deck and a set of exterior stairs that have a nice coat of paint on them, you may not have to worry about carpenter bees. Unfortunately, these bees can find holes in your exterior and get inside the walls of your home where you have lots of unpainted wood. This can turn into a bad problem, especially if it goes on year after year.
Early Prevention Is Key
The longer carpenter bees are allowed to live on your property, the worse your issues will be.
Not only can they damage your property, they can also weaken structures and create the potential for personal injury.
Here are two ways to detect them early:
- Learn to identify these big, fuzzy bees. A carpenter bee looks like a bumblebee but there is a distinct difference that you can notice from several feet away. Bumblebees have furry abdomens; carpenter bees do not. The abdomen of a carpenter bee is black, visibly hairless, and shiny. The abdomen makes up half the length of these bees so this distinction is quite noticeable if you know what you're looking for. Look for activity around wood and around flowers.
- Look for holes. A carpenter bee creates a hole that is perfectly circular. It will almost look like someone took a drill with a large drill bit and bore a hole in your property. Get down low and look up to see these holes. They are most often created underneath boards because female bees prefer to tunnel upward into the wood.
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