If you see a number of large bees hovering near the eaves of the house or drilling in wood, you may have Carpenter Bees. Drilling holes into wood, Carpenter Bees cause damage to homes, barns, sheds, wooden fences, decks, exterior furniture, playground equipment and much more.
Most of the top of the abdomen of Carpenter Bees is without hairs and is shiny black in color. There is only one species of the large Carpenter Bee which is encountered in Pennsylvania.
The male bee is unable to sting. It is the male carpenter bee, which is most often noticed. They hover in the vicinity of the nest and will dart after any other flying insect that ventures into their territory. A common behavior of the males is to approach people if they move quickly or wave a hand in the air. The males may even hover a short distance from people causing unnecessary panic. The female however, is capable of stinging but seldom does. She must be extremely provoked (i.e. handled) before she will sting.
Penn Pest technicians stop these pests, leaving a lasting treatment to prevent other insects from re-using existing holes.
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- Taken by Bob Peterson https://flic.kr/p/aFCdUM
