Carpenter Bee Control for Middle Tennessee Homes
Those perfectly round holes in your fascia boards, deck rails, or porch beams are the work of carpenter bees, and the damage grows each spring as new generations reuse and extend the same tunnels. U.S. Pest Protection treats carpenter bees as the wood-destroying insects they are: we treat every existing hole, fill it, and apply a liquid treatment that discourages bees from drilling new ones, all backed by our Whatever It Takes Guarantee. Spotted fresh sawdust under your eaves? Call 615-590-1260 or schedule a free inspection.
Carpenter Bee or Bumble Bee?
They look alike at a glance. A carpenter bee’s abdomen is bare, shiny, and black, while a bumble bee’s is fuzzy and usually striped with yellow. If you see large bees hovering around your eaves or drilling into wood, you’re looking at carpenter bees.
Do Carpenter Bees Sting?
Rarely. Male carpenter bees can’t sting at all, though they’ll hover close to anyone who wanders near the nest. Females can sting but seldom do unless they’re handled or provoked. The real concern isn’t the bees. It’s the wood.
Schedule Your Free Carpenter Bee Inspection
Your Pest Pro checks eaves, fascia boards, decks, railings, porch beams, and trim for active holes and sawdust, counts the holes that need treatment, and measures the wood surfaces that need the deterrent. Your price comes straight from what we find: how active the bees are, how many holes there are, and how much area needs treatment.Total Home Pest Protection, Made Simple
Schedule Your Free Inspection:
We’ll find every active hole and the wood carpenter bees keep coming back to.
Get Your Customized Solution:
Each hole treated and filled, plus a liquid deterrent on the surfaces they target.
Enjoy Peace of Mind:
Backed by our Whatever It Takes Guarantee, with yearly treatments for homes that need them.
Why Carpenter Bee Damage Keeps Growing
A few habits make carpenter bees a bigger problem every year they’re left alone:Signs of Carpenter Bees
- Perfectly round holes: about half an inch across, with smooth edges, usually on the underside of the wood
- Coarse sawdust: little piles on the ground, deck, or siding right below the holes
- Large bees hovering: around eaves, decks, and porches in spring
- Woodpecker damage: torn, chewed-out wood around existing holes
Carpenter bees prefer bare, unpainted, or weathered softwood. Around Middle Tennessee homes, that usually means fascia boards and eaves, decks and railings, porch beams, wooden trim and doors, outdoor furniture, and play sets. Our carpenter bee identification guide has close-up photos.
How Our Carpenter Bee Treatment Works
- Inspect: we find every active hole and the surfaces carpenter bees are targeting.
- Treat each hole: every tunnel that’s already been drilled gets treated.
- Fill the holes: after treatment, we fill them. Sealing a hole without treating it first just traps bees inside, and they chew a new way out.
- Apply a liquid deterrent: we treat the wood surfaces to discourage bees from drilling new holes.
- Repeat as needed: our seasonal program runs once or twice a year, and homes that keep attracting carpenter bees can be set up for annual treatments.
We fill holes, but we don’t repair damaged wood. If boards have been weakened by years of tunneling, a carpenter can replace them.
When Carpenter Bees Are Active
Carpenter bees spend the winter as young adults tucked inside their tunnels. In spring, roughly April through June, they come out to mate, clean out old tunnels, and drill new ones to lay their eggs. That’s when you’ll notice them buzzing around your house, and when fresh sawdust starts appearing.
Because they come back to the same wood year after year, treating the holes you have and protecting the surrounding wood is what breaks the cycle.
Making Your Wood Less Inviting
Carpenter bees go after bare, unfinished wood far more than painted or finished wood. Keeping exterior wood painted or sealed, and finishing new boards promptly, makes your home a less attractive target. A well-painted surface isn’t a guarantee, though. Some bees will still drill through, which is where treatment comes in.
Carpenter Bee Treatment Pricing
Carpenter bee treatment is a separate service from general pest control. Your Pest Pro sets the price at your free inspection, based on how active the bees are, how many holes need treatment, and how much wood surface needs the liquid deterrent. Homes that need ongoing protection can be set up for annual treatments.
Why Homeowners Call Us About Wood Damage
- We know wood-destroying insects: from termites to carpenter ants to carpenter bees, we can tell you what’s really damaging your wood.
- Honest answers: if your holes are old and inactive, we’ll say so.
- A guarantee that means something: carpenter bee treatment is backed by our Whatever It Takes Guarantee.
- People who pick up the phone: our own office team, right here in Middle Tennessee.
Want the bigger picture? See our guide to wood-destroying insects in Tennessee.
Carpenter Bee FAQs
Do carpenter bees eat wood?
No. They tunnel into wood to make nests for their young, but they feed on pollen and nectar. They’re actually important pollinators.
Can carpenter bees damage my house?
A single season of tunneling is usually minor, but damage builds as generations reuse and extend the same tunnels. Over years, wood can weaken enough that boards, posts, or rails need replacing.
Why not just plug the holes?
Plugging a hole without treating it first traps the bees inside, and they’ll chew a new opening. We treat each hole first, then fill it.
Do you repair carpenter bee holes?
We fill the holes after treatment, but we don’t repair damaged wood. For boards weakened by heavy tunneling, a carpenter can replace them.
How often do you treat for carpenter bees?
Our seasonal program runs once or twice a year, and we set up annual treatments for homes that keep attracting them.
Do carpenter bees sting?
Males can’t sting. Females can, but they rarely do unless they’re handled or provoked.
Is carpenter bee treatment guaranteed?
Yes. It’s backed by our Whatever It Takes Guarantee.
I have bees, but no holes in my wood. What are they?
They may be bumble bees, honey bees, or another type. See our bee removal page or call us, and we’ll help you figure it out.
Carpenter Bee Control Across Middle Tennessee
Decks, porches, and wood trim are carpenter bee magnets, and we treat them on homes throughout Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Hendersonville, Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, and the communities around them.
Seeing Round Holes in Your Wood?
More Ways We Protect Your Home
Not sure what you’re dealing with?
Identify it in our Pest ID Guide.
