Carpenter Bee Pest Control Richmond VA

Carpenter bees are a common sight in Richmond, VA, every spring and summer. While they look like large, furry bumblebees, their habits are quite different—and much more destructive to your home's exterior. Our Carpenter Bee control services focus on targeted solutions to protect your valuable wood structures.

Here is what you need to know about these wood-boring pests:

• Size & Shape: Carpenter bees are large, round, and about an inch long, giving them the appearance of a large bumblebee.
• The Key Difference: To identify them accurately, look at their abdomen (the rear section). Bumblebees have a fuzzy, hairy abdomen with yellow markings. Carpenter Bees have a shiny, smooth, black abdomen that looks bare, which is the easiest way to tell them apart.
• Color: They are usually black with some yellow fuzz around the head and thorax.

• The Damage: Unlike termites, Carpenter Bees do not eat wood; they bore perfectly round, half-inch diameter holes into soft or weathered wood to create nesting galleries for their eggs. This tunneling causes structural damage over time and often leads to cosmetic issues from staining and sawdust.
• Target Areas: They prefer unpainted or unfinished wood. Common target areas for these wood-destroying insects include deck railings, fascia boards, eaves, siding, sheds, and wooden playground equipment around your Richmond home.
• Behavior: The male bees, while loud and aggressive, cannot sting. The female can sting but rarely does unless directly handled. They are noisy and fly rapidly near the entrances to their tunnels.

Effective Carpenter Bee elimination requires professional treatment that addresses their current nesting sites and prevents future wood-boring activity. We offer comprehensive pest management to save your property from these wood-destroying pests.