Carpenter Bees in New Jersey and All About Carpenter Bees

The good news is these are not dangerous bees. While the female has the power to sting you, she won’t get upset unless you get too close to her nest. She’s too busy working away to create a home for her offspring. Since they build their nests in the wood of porches, decks, and eves, they are usually close to your home, so an encounter is not out of the question. Remember, they are more afraid of you than you are of them.

The Anatomy of the Carpenter Bee

The carpenter bees come out in full force in late spring in the northeast. New Jersey residents are always fearful at first sight of this large bee. The wood borer is about an inch in length, and they have four black, fuzzy legs. Their abdomen is hard, black, and shiny, and it doesn’t have any fuzz. The thorax, or mid-section of the body, does have fur on it, but it’s hardly detectable.

If you begin to see many of these bees circling your perimeter, then you can assure they are trying to set up residence. You can quickly tell if you have a problem with wood bees by the staining they leave on your wood. It’s a unique pattern of fecal matter that looks like splatters. Sadly, these deposits are impossible to remove as they make a permanent stain. You will need to paint or remove boards to get rid of the unsightly blemishes.

The Differences Between Wood Bees and Bumble Bees

Though people usually confuse the two, it’s relatively easy to tell the difference in them when they’re side by side. Though the bees are both roughly the same size, they don’t look anything alike up close. The bumblebee has a vivid yellow ring around their abdomen that is distinguishable with its fuzzy body. The wood bee has a shiny middle section that lacks any real color.

Their habits are another way that you can distinguish between the two. The bumblebee is looking for nectar from flowers, so you will almost always find them buzzing about your garden. The wood bee builds its nest in the wood, so they will work around your porches and entranceways. Both bees like to buzz, but the wood bee seems to have more of an aggressive sound as they are quite territorial.

The bumblebee can sting, but they are not as aggressive as a yellow jacket or wasp. In fact, the male bumble cannot sting either, but the female has the power to inflict pain. Unlike the honeybee that loses its barb when it stings, the sting of the bumblebee doesn’t have any barbs. So they can sting time and again without issue.

The carpenter bee also has a barbless stinger, so they too can sting more than once. Many people hear the loud buzzing and confuse the two bees, but it’s easy to see that they are vastly different.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Bees in New Jersey?

The first thing that most people want to do when they see these bees is run to their local department store for some bee spray. Spray only kills the bees that you see, but it can’t take care of the ones burrowed deep into the wood.

It would help if you had special equipment that can get into these areas. Additionally, many sprays are toxic and not good for the environment. You need a professional who knows how to handle these critters with ease.

Carpenter bee control using traps has become popular in the past few years. The goal is to trap as many as possible to keep them from boring into the home. These devices can be useful, but if you have a massive issue, it’s not going to touch it. You need a professional exterminator that knows the behaviors of this bee and can irradiate the infestation. Remember, you’re dealing with a bee that has the potential to cause significant damage to the structure of your home.

After you rid the bees from your home, you must seal off any holes they have dug into your wood if they’re not severe. However, if their nesting process has caused a significant amount of damage, you will need to replace the boards to ensure the structure’s security.

There are a few pesticides that can be applied to the wood to prevent further nesting. Since so many people are terrified to deal with any type of bee, it’s better to let a professional hand it. The possibility to get stung is more significant when you try to disturb the nest, and you don’t want to be in pain because you’re not prepared.

Why Carpenter Bees in New Jersey Should Be Handled By a Professional?

When dealing with bees, you need a specialized suit to protect yourself, which most people don’t have lying around. Plus, you need someone to help you determine the level of structural damage that exists. The last thing you need is premature rotting and other issues caused by these wood bees.

If you see those male carpenter bees hovering around your porches and decks, it’s time to call a highly-rated New Jersey exterminator to see what’s going on. If you catch them early in the building process, you can avoid costly repairs.

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Carpenter bees and bumble bees: What’s the difference?

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