You probably never want to see a bee near your home, but in the event that you do, it’s time to watch carefully. It’s just possible that you may have a carpenter bee on your hands, and if they’re nesting in your home, shed, or garage, you may find that you have some serious property damage at play. Wondering how you can tell if you have a carpenter bee or just a bumble bee passing by? This quick guide can help.

What Do They Look Like?

Any Brevard County pest control service can tell you that it’s difficult to know whether you have a carpenter bee or a bumble bee on your hands. They look alike. The real difference is that carpenter bees have hairless abdomens that are shiny and black. The males are usually orange or yellow, but all of the females are black.

How Do I Tell?

Since they look so similar to other bees, how can you tell if you have carpenter bees? Your best bet is to take a look at where it’s been sighted. Carpenter bees have to nest in wood. If you notice them hovering outside your home routinely, you may have a problem. Bumblebees tend to nest in the ground. They won’t usually hang around outside your home.

Additionally, male carpenter bees tend to be very aggressive. They’ll fly very close to your head, trying to intimidate you away from the nest. Males, though, don’t actually have stingers, so they can’t hurt you. The females certainly can, but if they’re left alone, they won’t sting you.

Carpenter bees also tend to be solitary creatures. You don’t see them swarming together, and they each dig their own nests. If you see several bees together, they’re probably not carpenter bees.

If You Do Have a Problem

If you do think you have carpenter bees around your home, it’s best if you contact a Melbourne bee exterminator as soon as possible. They can excavate an entry point, then create a chamber for the female to lay her eggs. Nests are created at a 90 degree angle, though, so don’t think you can destroy it by reaching in with a stick. One bee hole is not really a big deal, but once those eggs hatch, they’re going to dig further into the wood of your home, and that can mean destabilizing your entire home. While you may want to try DIY removal methods, in most cases, it won’t work with carpenter bees. Your best bet is to contact the professionals to help protect your home immediately.