Category Archives: Carpenter Bees

Ants, Bed Bug Information, Bed Bugs, Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, Cockroaches, News

Do Your Due Diligence – Do a Pest Inspection Before Moving In

Before You Move In Do a Thorough Inspections for Pests.
Before You Move In Do a Thorough Inspections for Pests.

Think a home empty of humans is empty of pests? Think again. The NJ pest control experts at Stern know that prolonged vacancies can result in squatters. Insects and rodents are quick to move-in when prior residents vacate, making a pre-purchase pest inspection essential to avoiding hair-raising situations.

New & Existing Buildings are Both Affected

When new building construction is delayed, as is common, and wood framing and interior components are exposed to moisture and humidity over time, pests are attracted to and thrive in these moist conditions. In existing homes, overgrown shrubbery and standing water likewise attract pests of all kinds, from rodents and stinging insects, to mosquitoes, creating major infestations in mere weeks.

What Pests Should You Be on the Lookout For?

Common pests in vacant homes and buildings include:

– Beetles feasting on damp wood, floor boards, paneling, drywall, and interior mold.

– Silverfish munching wallpaper paste.

– Springtails and booklice feeding on damp, moldy wood and paper materials.

– Termites hidden in structural framing, flooring, carpeting, wallpaper, and construction debris.

– Carpenter ants, common in new building sites, are attracted to moist construction debris.

– Cockroaches, a particular problem in city homes.

– Massive wolf spiders in homes located in/near wooded areas.

– Rodents near farms and wooded areas.

– Fleas, ticks, and bedbugs from previous occupants.

Ensure a new home that’s a safe haven for you and your family. Schedule a pre-purchase inspection with the NJ pest control pros at Stern Environmental today.

Carpenter Bees, Commercial Services, Insect Control

What Every Home Owner Should Know About New Jersey Carpenter Bees

What Every Home Owner Should Know About New Jersey Carpenter Bees
What Every Home Owner Should Know About New Jersey Carpenter Bees

Making it through another long, cold winter is certainly reason to celebrate. But the fact that spring is here makes NJ pest control specialists have to pick up the pace because there are some different pests we’ll need to be focusing on. Carpenter bees are just one of them, but they are a problem for a lot of people in the state.

What are Carpenter Bees? 

Some people think that carpenter bees got their name because they eat wood, but that is not accurate. The females actually create holes in wood so they make a place for nests for their young. These pests are fairly large; about three-quarters to one inch in length. People often mistake them for bumble bees, but they’re not the same. Unlike other types of bees, they don’t live in colonies. Rather, they’re independent.

What Types of Damage Can Carpenter Bees Cause? 

Carpenter bees can do a lot of damage to the exterior of your home. It’s common to find them in decks, porches or wooden railings. They’re relatively harmless because the male doesn’t have a stinger, and the female only stings if she’s handled.

Still, no one wants carpenter bees hanging around their property. Your NJ pest control specialists can help if you’ve seen them hanging around your home. They are a nuisance pest, but it often takes a professional to deal with them. Contact us!

Bees, Carpenter Bees, Commercial Services, Insect Control, News, Pest Control, Pest Eradication, Pest Management, Stinging Insects, Wasps, Yellow Jackets

Is Your Business Protected from Stinging Insect Lawsuits?

2 Comments
Stinging Insect Lawsuits
Stinging Insect Lawsuits

Many business owners are very careful about making sure their properties are safe from hazardous issues that could result in the injury of one of their staff members or a customer. However, far too many of them don’t think about the possible lawsuits that could arise from stinging insects that were not removed properly.

Provoking Bees

Most bees don’t bother humans unless they are provoked. However, they may feel threatened if someone walks too close to their nests. Children will also often play carelessly around bees nests that they don’t realize are close by. The result can be painful stings, which sometimes result in allergic reactions.

Fatal Bee Stings

A person who has never been stung by a bee might not be aware of an allergy. Allergic reactions are worse when a person is stung many times, as is often the case when that person inadvertently stumbles upon a beehive. The result can be severe itching, difficulty breathing or even death.

As a business owner, it’s important to ensure that your property remains free from all potential problems, and in the spring and summer, that means it’s time to think about removing beehives.

When it comes to commercial pest control and dealing with unwanted bees, it’s best to leave things in the hands of a professional. To make an appointment with us, contact us today.

Bees, Carpenter Bees, Insect Control, Pest Control, Pest Management, Stinging Insects

Watch Out for Wood-Damaging Carpenter Bees

2 Comments

Their aggressive behavior and wood-destroying activity makes carpenter bees a double threat when they take up residence on your property. These large bees (about 1-1/2 inch long) live in mating pairs rather than communal hives, but they are extremely territorial. Whenever anyone approaches the pair’s nesting area, the male will hurl his body at the threat, repeatedly dive bombing customers, family guests, children and pets to drive them away.

Kamikaze Bees

Mix their Kamikaze-like behavior with carpenter bees’ preference for tunneling into flat wood planks like porch roofs, building siding, cedar shingles, play equipment, outdoor furniture, posts and railings and these bees can drive you from your front porch, your children from your backyard or your customers from your business entrance.

Wood Destroyers

These bees also emit an extremely loud drill-like buzzing that adds to the panic they create. More than a nuisance, their buzzing is also a sign of ongoing destruction to your property. While male carpenter bees are busy defending the nest site, females bore into the wood, creating long tunnels where they lay their eggs. Because carpenter bees tend to stay near their original nest and reuse nesting tunnels, it is common for successive generations to infest a site. In time, multiple pairs of carpenter bees can cause significant wood damage.

Don’t risk losing your customers or the use of your yard. Call Stern for fast, effective carpenter bee removal in northern New Jersey and the Greater New York City area.

Carpenter Bees, Commercial Services, Residential Services

Address Carpenter Bees Now Before Damage Occurs

Carpenter bees can be a problem for New York and New Jersey home and business owners in early spring and summer, particularly if these wood-destroying bees nest near entry doors, garages or backyard decks where people gather and children play. The dive bombing behavior of aggressive male carpenter bees can terrorize children, pets and business customers who come too close to nesting sites.

Unlike honey bees which live in large social colonies, carpenter bees are solitary bees that live in mated pairs. They chew long nesting tunnels into unpainted or weathered woods where they lay their eggs and overwinter. They have a preference for the soft woods typically used to build and shingle homes, such as redwood, cedar, cypress and pine.

Carpenter bees tend to remain in one location throughout their lives, overwintering in nesting tunnels. Multiple pairs frequently colonize the same site and can cause significant damage to wooden porch roofs and eaves, cedar siding, picnic tables and backyard play sets over time. Their presence is distinguished by the perfectly round entry holes these bees drill into wood as they begin each tunnel. Sawdust-like remains of chewed wood under entry holes is another telltale size of a carpenter bee problem.

While only the female bees sting, aggressively attacking males make carpenter bee extermination a job for experienced New Jersey pest control professionals.