Case Study #3

The importance of getting a wood destroying insect (termite) inspection isn’t only for termites it is for other insects that destroy wood. Here you can see that the fascia board (trim boards on the exterior of homes at the roofs edge) has paint damage, and if you look closely you can see there are holes as well. These holes are actually the work of carpenter bees, they burrow in the wood for nesting. While fairly harmless, carpenter bees increase the number of nests over the course of years, causing noticeable damage to wood. They can also create stains with their feces. The sudden appearance of carpenter bees crawling out of wood often frightens people. Females can sting, but only will do so if bothered. Males appear aggressive as they fly around people and, but the males harmless since they do not have a stinger. 

While these pests may cause damage to wood, there are some simple things homeowners can do to keep them away, like painting wood, wrapping the wood with metal and keeping outside doors closed to prevent carpenter bee access to wood that could be used to construct galleries.