Do Carpenter Bees Build Hives in Cherry Hill, NJ, Is There a Mating Season? Does a Bee Ever Return to an Old Nest?

No one wants to think about having a bee infestation on their property. A bee that you certainly don’t want to make a home on your property is the carpenter bee. Not only will they put you at risk of getting stung, but they will also cause damage to your property if they are left to their devices. To get rid of carpenter bees, you will first need to know how they behave and what their nesting habits look like. Ross Environmental Solutions is here to talk about what nesting looks like for carpenter bees so that you can be prepared to get rid of them if you notice they are interested in your home.

Do Carpenter Bees Build Hives?

The first thing that most people think about when they think of bees is a beehive. Most bees certainly do live in a hive. However, carpenter bees are solitary insects. This means that they don’t live in a colony and won’t be building any beehive. Carpenter bees actually nest in soft wood. Common places to find a carpenter bee nest would be old trees, porches, sheds, and any other structure that would provide them with the soft wood that they need to build a place to live.

Do Carpenter Bees have a Mating Season?

Usually, within 2-3 weeks of emerging from their winter slumber, carpenter bees are going to be looking for a mate. Once they have accomplished this, they will be on the lookout for a place that has ideal wood for them to build a nest, burrow inside of it, and create a nesting gallery for the female to lay her eggs. The female carpenter bee is going to be the one that is the nest engineer. She will be burrowing while the male stands guard to protect the nest from other male bees. It is his job to put a stake on the female and keep any other bees or predators away from the nest that is being built. If the bees are left to their devices throughout the entire season, the nest will more than likely be about 2-4 feet by the end. Once the male and female have successfully created offspring, they will die off inside the nest naturally.

Do Carpenter Bees Return to Old Nests?

You may think that since these bees naturally die off, you don’t need to worry about extensive damage. This isn’t true because each nest can house multiple generations of carpenter bees. The holes they produce weaken the structure and attract other problems like fungi and woodpeckers.

Bee & Wasp Control

If you notice that there is any sign that you have a carpenter bee problem on your property, it is important that you work quickly to contact Ross Environmental Solutions to help you get rid of them as soon as possible. We have the experience and expertise to remove them from your property so that it doesn’t sustain any further damage from the bees. Call us today!