The carpenter bee (xylocopa) bores into wood each spring to create a brooding nest, creating a perfectly round hole about about 5/8” in diameter. While some carpenter bees select the underside of tree branches to nest, others bore into the exterior wood of houses. In the photo above you can see both the bore holes and areas where their elongated galleries just behind the surface of the wood have also become exposed as the thin surface wood has rotted away over time.  Although we typically see carpenter bee holes in fascias and soffits, because they seem to prefer a higher location, occasionally they damage siding and the underside of wood railings. 

   Carpenter bees are often confused with bumblebees, since they are similar in their coloration and large size. But they have a shiny abdomen, whereas the bumblebee abdomen is covered with dense hair.

  If you have carpenter bee damage in the exterior wood of your home,  there’s both good and bad news: the tunnels they burrow are shallow and rarely cause structural damage, but they return to the same location each Spring to build a new nest. You can fill their holes and paint over them, but they will simply bore a new hole nearby the following year. 

   Carpenter bee damage is not reported in a Florida WDO (Wood Destroying Organism) inspection for homebuyers, because—unlike termites and wood destroying fungi—they do not eat the wood, but simply bore into it for their nest. 

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To learn more about TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND OTHER PESTS see these blog posts:

• How can I keep wasps out of my electrical panel box?

• Is the WDO (termite) inspector allowed to poke holes in my wood siding and trim? 

• Do carpenter ants cause structural damage to houses in Florida? 

• How long before closing can you have a WDO (termite) inspection done?

• How long does Bora-Care® last? 

• Where are the most common places to find wood rot on a house?

• Why is it a mistake to store lumber in the crawl space under a house? 

• Does the presence of carpenter ants in a house indicate that there are probably also termites? 

• How do termites infest a house and remain hidden while doing major damage?

 • Are homes in Florida required to have termite protection? 

• If termite damage appears to be old, does that mean that termites may no longer be present?

• What does roach poop (fecal pellets) look like? 

• When do termites swarm in Florida? 

• Does a recent termite company inspection sticker mean there are no termites? 

• Can a mobile/manufactured home get termites?

• Do I have to tent the house if I have termites? 

• What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a drywood termite?

• What are the green plastic discs in the ground around the house? 

• Is wood rot found on a home inspection considered serious? 

    Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.