Stop Sidestepping Stinging Insects

Carpenter bees are solitary insects so you won't find them hanging in or around a hive with other bees. Instead, they chew through wood in your deck, fence, and home's structure to create a nest. If you find sawdust or loose shavings beneath tiny, ½ inch holes, this is a likely sign of carpenter bee activity. Dark, yellowish-brown or black stains around the holes that are sticky are excrement and evidence of bees.

Spotting a hole or two in your fence won't cause major issues but if carpenter bees choose to tunnel through your deck wood for a longer period of time structural issues can arise. Female carpenter bees prefer to use the same nesting sites as their mothers and even choose to return to their nests to overwinter and continue tunneling in the spring. As tunnels grow, so does the chance of water seeping in and causing wood rot.