Have you noticed small holes (roughly a half inch) in the siding of your home, deck or other wooden structures? These holes are commonly left behind by Carpenter Bees. Like Carpenter Ants, they do not eat the wood but use wood structures to form nesting sites by tunneling through the wood and pushing the wood shavings out of the way. Carpenter Bees are typically not very social insects, so it is uncommon to see them in mass quantities. It is common to confuse Carpenter Bees with Bumble Bees, as they have a similar appearance. However, Bumble Bees typically nest in the ground and are very social with one another.
Although Carpenter Bees are normally docile and present little to no threat to human safety, they are very difficult to exterminate. Female Bees will lay their eggs inside of these tunnels in the spring, which then grow to be adults by summer. These bees will return back to the nest to hibernate over the winter. Due to the breeding habits, and simply how extravagant their tunneling sites are, a one time pesticide application would do little to no good. The open holes left behind by these bees also will attract woodpeckers to attack the home searching for insects inside.
If you are thinking of trying to handle a Carpenter Bee issue on your own, it would be best to call a professional to have an inspection done to figure out how the process should be carried out. Certain products must be used in order to eradicate the issue properly. If left untreated, you could end up with large holes that other insects will try to set up shop in, as well as the woodpeckers that are known to cause extensive damage.