This is a valid concern. While some treatments can impact beneficial insects, we offer eco-friendly options that minimize harm to pollinators and other beneficial species.

Light rain won't affect the treatment once it's dried. However, heavy rain may require rescheduling to ensure effectiveness.

• Body Shape: Termites have broad, straight bodies with no defined waist; carpenter ants have a narrow, pinched waist.
• Antennae: Termites have straight antennae; carpenter ants have bent (“elbowed”) antennae.
• Color: Termites are pale or light-colored; carpenter ants are dark brown, black, or reddish.
• Wood Damage: Termites eat wood, leaving rough, mud-lined tunnels and mud tubes; carpenter ants tunnel into wood, leaving smooth galleries and piles of sawdust.
• Wings: Termite wings are equal in length and longer than their bodies; carpenter ants have larger front wings and smaller hind wings.

Still unsure? Both Carpenter ants and Termites are dangerous wood-destroying insects!

Please call us as soon as possible to schedule an inspection.

Like other bees, carpenter bees are attracted to flowers. If you have lots of flowers in your yard, you’ll likely find these bees mingling with bumblebees, butterflies, and other pollinators. They’re also attracted to untreated wood, which can make fences, decks, and sheds, as well as wood siding. Carpenter bees also search for old nests that they can use and expand.

Contrary to popular belief, carpenter bees don’t eat wood—they use their mandibles to carve out tunnels, then push the sawdust out. Instead, Carpenter bees eat nectar like other bees. Carpenter bees feed their larvae “bee bread,” which is a mixture of pollen and nectar or honey.

Yes, Carpenter bees can sting you, but only some of them. Female carpenter bees are the ones who have stingers, and they’re capable of stinging more than once. However, they’re unlikely to do so unless you provoke them by attempting to handle them or poking your fingers into their burrows. Male carpenter bees are the ones you’ll see guarding the nest and while they might act aggressively by flying at you, they can’t sting you.

Carpenter bees have shiny, black, hairless abdomens while bumblebees are fuzzy all over with yellow stripes. Carpenter bees are solitary and drill into wood; bumblebees are social and nest in the ground. Carpenter bees hover aggressively but males can't sting; bumblebees are generally docile but all can sting.

Carpenter bee traps are only 70% effective even when properly placed and maintained. Always consult with a professional pest control company to avoid danger to you or your loved ones and to address infestations quickly and effectively.

Yes, carpenter bees can cause significant damage to decks over time. While they don't eat wood, their tunneling can weaken deck boards and railings. A severe infestation can compromise structural integrity within 3-5 years. Soft woods like pine and cedar are most vulnerable.

Carpenter bees are most active during warm, sunny afternoons between 11 AM and 4 PM. They're least active at dawn and dusk, making evening (after 7 PM) the safest and most effective time to apply treatments or seal holes.