Carpenter Bees- What they are and how to get rid of them

In prepping a new listing scheduled to hit the market in May, I noticed several of these...

On the underside of this...

I have been through enough building inspections over the course of 10+ years in real estate to immediately identify the problem...

Carpenter Bees!  When you observe holes that are perfectly round and approximately 1/4 inch in diameter on a wooden structure, you can almost guarantee it to be Carpenter Bees. 

Much larger than the standard bumblebee, think more along the size of a Queen Bee, Carpenter Bees are solitary bees.  While they boast stingers like bumblebees, they rarely use them unless they feel their eggs are directly threatened.  What makes the Carpenter unique is an alarmingly strong mandible.

During the warmer months, Carpenters use this mandible to tunnel into wood and create taverns to lay their eggs, leaving wood partitions in the tunnel walls for double protection. In fact, it only takes a couple of hours for a Carpenter Bee to drill a hole several inches deep.

Obviously, as a home owner, this is a serious concern as enough Carpenter Bee holes in the right place could seriously compromise the integrity of structure.  Hence, I made a quick call to my favorite local pest company, who I use for most of my local pest inspections...

In 20 minutes, the Bi-State contractor injected each hole with silica and treated the underside of each beam with a solution to detract further carpenter bee activity...

As professional treatment is only $125...

... this issue is not worth treating yourself.  $125 is money well spent and ensures you to be Carpenter Bee free for awhile.

Common Home Owner Mistake...

As we welcome the gorgeous crisp Fall weather, sadly this sight becomes more and more prevalent:Though I completely understand the desire to keep your firewood handy (and dry under the eaves), I beg you to please resist the temptation to... ... store your firewood up against the structure of your house. Both of these wood piles, seen in my neighborhood en route to my daily trek to drop my son off at school, may as well have a "Free 24 hour Termite Buffet" sign posted above them.

One of the biggest perks of being a Realtor, is the opportunity to accompany several Buyers per year on their ASHI certified inspections, as part of the standard residential contract process. One of the most valuable tools a good Realtor has is their cornucopia of information attained from years of inspections.

The pics I posted above not only raise red flags, but sound off bells and whistles with !!exclamation points!! for a termite infestation.

Termites, super common in St. Louis thanks to our temperate and moisture rich climate, are the number one cause of home damage in the United States. In fact, they do more damage each year than fires, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes combined in the U.S..

These pesky rascals build colonies underground and enter a property from the foundation, mud tunneling their way up and through the teeny crevices of your structure. Exterior conditions, such as mulch covering the bulk of the foundation, provides the perfect coverage and disguise for termites to sneak their way in and wreak TOTAL havoc before a homeowner even detects them.

A woodpile against a home?

A virtual 5 star Ritz Carlton suite, complete with white fluffy robes and Godiva chocolates left on the goose down pillows at turn-down service.

For good measure, all woodpiles should be kept as far away from your structure as possible. Inconvenient? Yes. Proactive measure against expensive structural damage to your property? YES!

To learn more about termites, please click HERE.