When Carpenter Bees and Woodpeckers Attack

The Birds and the Bees: When Carpenter Bees and Woodpeckers Attack

If you’ve noticed woodpeckers making themselves at home on your property, you may actually have two problems rather than one. Woodpeckers often arrive along with carpenter bees as the bees are an excellent food source for them. Even if you haven’t seen either pest, it’s still a good idea to check for signs of the telltale damage they leave behind. If you find it, a professional pest control expert is the best way to solve the problem.

Bees

Contrary to popular belief, carpenter bees don’t actually eat wood. Instead, they drill into it and create long tunnels where they lay their eggs. The openings to these tunnels are small, perfectly round holes often found above a pile of fresh sawdust. Though structural damage from the bee nest itself is minimal, the holes left in the wood leave it exposed to potential water damage and rot. Once a bee has created a nest in the wood around your home, her offspring are likely to return to it again and again, and may bring a woodpecker or two with them.

Woodpeckers

Wood peckers do more damage than carpenter bees when they peck their way into the nest to enjoy some tasty bee larva. Unfortunately, the holes they leave behind can be quite large and unsightly, leading to rot and decay of the wood even more quickly than the damage left behind by carpenter bees. The holes they create may also be large enough to admit other wildlife, such as raccoons, into your home.

Go With a Pro

While there are steps you can take to deter both pests, such as painting or staining the wood around your home, it is best to seek professional help when dealing with carpenter bees and woodpeckers. Improper treatment can actually lead to bigger problems. Plugging the holes of carpenter bees at the wrong time, for example, traps young bees inside the nest who then drill their way out, creating even more holes. A pest control expert will know what insecticides to use, when to use them and be licensed to use them properly. They will also have access to effective woodpecker repellents and may have authorization to trap the birds.

Don’t tackle these frustrating and potentially damaging problems on your own. Get help from someone who can help you solve the problem quickly and effectively.