How to identify them

Carpenter bees look much like bumble bees but with a shiny, hairless black abdomen rather than a fuzzy yellow one. They are about an inch long. The clearest sign is the damage: a nearly perfect round hole, about half an inch across, bored into wood, often with coarse sawdust below and yellowish staining around the opening.

Behavior and biology in South Florida

Carpenter bees do not eat wood — they excavate it to make nest galleries. Females bore into unpainted or weathered softwood: fascia, eaves, deck railings, fence rails, pergolas, and trim. Inside, they turn and tunnel along the grain, laying eggs in a row of provisioned chambers.

In spring, males hover aggressively around nest sites and will dart at people and pets — but males have no stinger and cannot sting. Females can sting but are docile and rarely do. The real concern is cumulative: bees reuse and expand galleries year after year, and woodpeckers often tear into the wood chasing the larvae, enlarging the damage.

Signs of an infestation

• Round, half-inch holes in eaves, fascia, railings, and trim
• Coarse sawdust and yellowish staining beneath the holes
• Large bees hovering and darting around wood in spring
• Woodpecker damage around existing holes as they hunt larvae

Why they are a problem

A single hole is minor, but carpenter bees return to and expand the same wood every year, and multiple galleries weaken railings, fascia, and structural trim over time. The secondary woodpecker damage can be worse than the bees themselves, and the hovering males are an unsettling — if harmless — nuisance around porches and decks.

How Bugsy’s treats carpenter bees

Effective control means treating the galleries, not just the visible bee. Our technicians treat the holes so returning and emerging bees contact the material, then advise on sealing the openings at the right time so galleries are not simply reoccupied. We also identify the vulnerable bare or weathered wood drawing them in.

Preventing carpenter bees

• Paint or varnish exposed wood — they strongly prefer bare, weathered surfaces
• Fill and seal old galleries after treatment so they are not reused
• Use hardwood or treated lumber for railings and trim where practical
• Address damage early before galleries and woodpecker activity expand
• Inspect eaves, fascia, and railings each spring for fresh holes

At a glance

Wood-boringRound entry holesDocile malesDamage accrues yearly