Do you kill honey bees during a bee control service?

No, whenever we encounter honey bees, live extraction and relocation is our primary objective. We work with local licensed beekeepers to safely remove the queen and her colony to a managed hive box where they can continue to pollinate. Chemical treatment of a honey bee colony is strictly a last resort, reserved for situations where live extraction is structurally infeasible or public safety is critically compromised.

How much structural damage can carpenter bees actually cause?

More than most homeowners expect, a single gallery bored in one season can extend several feet into a structural beam over multiple years as the tunnel is expanded, and female offspring preferentially return to the same wood to drill new chambers each successive season. On a deck, fascia board, or roof truss with multiple years of unaddressed activity, the cumulative gallery network can meaningfully compromise structural integrity. Woodpeckers compound the problem, they locate carpenter bee larvae by sound and excavate aggressively, causing additional surface damage on top of the gallery network.

What is the difference between a bumblebee and a carpenter bee?

They're similar in size and coloration at a distance, but the abdomen is the giveaway, bumblebees have fuzzy, hairy abdomens with yellow markings and nest underground in small social colonies. Carpenter bees have a shiny, completely smooth, solid black abdomen with no yellow markings on the rear, and nest exclusively by boring into wood as solitary individuals. The large, hovering bees patrolling your deck or eaves are almost certainly carpenter bees; the ones foraging on flowers are more likely bumblebees.

How long does carpenter bee treatment take to work?

Gallery dust treatments begin eliminating active nesting females within the first day of application, and the residual dust maintains effectiveness inside the gallery for several weeks, eliminating any larvae that hatch after the initial treatment. Entry holes are plugged after the treatment period is confirmed complete, typically during a follow-up visit, to prevent reuse. The full treatment sequence, including gallery plugging and preventative barrier application, is completed within one to two service visits.

Are bee control treatments safe for my garden and other pollinators?

Yes, our carpenter bee treatments are applied directly into wood galleries and to structural surfaces, not to flowering plants, garden beds, or areas where foraging pollinators are active. The gallery dust injection is a closed-system application that stays inside the wood, and the preventative surface barrier is applied to eaves, fascia, and exposed timber, not to plants or soil. Your garden pollinators are not at risk from properly applied carpenter bee treatment.

Do I need to be home during bee control service?

For honey bee extraction involving interior structural access, we ask that someone be home to provide access to the affected area. Exterior carpenter bee treatments, gallery injection, plugging, and preventative barrier, can often be completed without you present once the service parameters have been confirmed. Your scheduling team will walk you through what access is needed before your appointment.