Carpenter Ants | Bees | and Carpenter Bees?

I was making coffee: I do this every day, some times more than once (french pressed, dark roast, 100% arabica for those of you who share my love for coffee).  I looked out the window while I was making it to see a large, bright yellow, fuzzy bee.  At first I thought,"It is a honey bee..."  But a closer look revealed that it was not.  Then I had settled on bumble bee-- specifically the Bombus Mixtus.  But I wasn't convinced because of the size and then I remembered another fuzzy bee--  The Carpenter Bee.


After a quick look though photos of carpenter bees and another glance back at the Bombus Mixtus pictures, I decided it was probably a (click the link to see a picture) Bombus Mixtus.  Fuzzy bees don't bother me, they are less inclined to sting than others (I'm including wasps, yellow jackets, hornets and anything with a stinger as I'm thinking about creatures that sting). Fuzzy pollen carrying bees are highly beneficial to my garden and other plants and really they are kind of cute (at least that is what my wife and daughters say).  Anyways I enjoyed my encounter with the Bombus Mixtus Bumble Bee but I got to thinking (so now I'm writing) about carpenter bees.


I wanted to talk a little bit about Carpenter Bees though, because they are really quite interesting as well.  Much like carpenter ants, they are a potential structural pest.  Carpenter bee females "drill" holes in the wood, by chewing through it.  Unlike termites, they do not digest they wood.  They excavate, more in line with carpenter ants (which probably explains the similar name).  They drill about 8-10 inches down and then they build the nest area.  Carpenter Bees tend NOT to move into pressure treated and/or painted woods, so in many cases, homes will be left alone in favor of more natural wood.


Carpenter Bees can nest in areas like fence posts, barns, unpainted wood, trees, etc.  They are beneficial to plant pollination.  Females have stinging apparatus and are able to sting, while males often lack the stinging apparatus and do not sting.  I read on an entomology blog that some entomologists refer to the male carpenter bees as teddy bears because of their yellowish brown fuzzy appearance and lack of the ability to sting.  


There are many types of bees that can do damage to your home by nesting in areas where they should not, but carpenter bees are actually able to drill into the wood, set up colony and damage structure, while still being beneficial in other ways.  The carpenter bee is a real multi-tasker!  For suspected structurally damaging pests whether bee, ant, beetle, or termites-- Peak Pest Management is ready to develop an affordable, custom pest control plan to suit your needs and budget.


Hope you've all had a great monday!  And Enjoy the holiday!  Happy Fourth of July everyone!  So thankful for all of the men and women over the years who have served our country and paved the way, defended, and upheld the freedoms we all enjoy!


Micah Wood
Peak-Pest-Management.com
Micah@peak-pest-management.com
503-998-4322
360-607-1933