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March 11, 2021
How to Protect Wood From Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees, as their name implies, are known for drilling into wooden surfaces in homes. Although they’re not aggressive, these bugs can cause serious structural damage to your home if you don’t protect your wooden structures. Carpenter bees become active in early spring through summer. You don’t have to worry when it’s one or two carpenter bees hovering around your house, but a swarm of these bugs around your house is a reason to worry. Luckily, there are various ways you can protect your wooden structures from carpenter bees and maintain the structural integrity of your home.
If you need help with protecting your wood from carpenter bees, look no further than Beall Contracting. Request one of our local handymen for any type of carpenter repair.
About Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees resemble bumblebees and are characterized by shiny and smooth abdomens. While they may look scary, male carpenter bees don't have stingers, and the females rarely sting unless aggravated. To carpenter bees, wooden structures are their ideal target. Although they do not really eat wood, they drill through wood and create nests inside the holes where eggs hatch to create more carpenter bees. If you notice holes on your wooden structures and coarse sawdust beneath those holes, that’s a sign of carpenter bees at work. Another sign of carpenter bees wood infestation is wood-shaving sounds. You may hear a soft scraping sound as the bus drill through wood.
Here’s how to protect wood from carpenter bees:
Stain Your Wood Surfaces
Carpenter bees prefer to drill through unstained wood. That’s why staining or painting your wood surfaces is an effective way to keep the bugs away. You’ll need to re-paint your wood after a while for maximum effect. But if you don't want to paint your wooden structures for some reason, you can apply a clear sealer to protect your wood from the bees.
Spray Citrus Oil Into The Holes
Citrus oil is a natural repellent for carpenter bees. Spraying this oil into the holes drilled by these bugs helps to keep them away. You can also wipe the affected wooden structures with citrus oil to repel the bees.
Install A Carpenter House Far Away From Your Home
Carpenter bees are amazing pollinators, so they’re an important part of the ecosystem. You can give them their own home at the edge of your landscape. Simply build a carpenter bee house and hang where the bees are present and once they get into the house, move it far away from your house.
Seal Off Cracks And Crevices
Cracks and crevices make it easier for carpenter bees to invade your wood. Be sure to fill in holes such as nail holes, splinters, and any cracks with caulking to protect your wood from these bugs.
Get Help From An Experienced Home Improvement Company
If you've implemented the above-mentioned measures to protect your wood from carpenter bees, but the bugs won't go away, it’s advisable to hire a home improvement company to help you. At Beall Contracting, we have the know-how and experience to help you protect your wood from carpenter bees.