Pest of the Month: Bees

Bees? Bees! Yes, buzzing around your yard are probably more types of bees than you can even imagine. In spite of the fact that we're all familiar with bees, we're actually quite unfamiliar with the sheer variety of bees and how each species functions differently. In fact, there are actually about 16,000 known species of bees, from honey bees to carpenter bees to bumblebees. Some bees are helpful to our gardens and green-spaces, but others are unwanted visitors to these spaces.

Carpenter bees vs leafcutter bees:
Carpenter bees, in particular, are perhaps the most notoriously obnoxious of all bees. Carpenter bees will happily drill a clean (and deep!) hole through your wood. In fact, you'd hardly even know the difference between the hole left by a carpenter bee or a drill. How can you tell that a carpenter bee has been around? You'll see sawdust. Leafcutter bees won't do quite as damage to the integrity of your home and garden as will a carpenter bee, but, as their name suggests, they cut holes in foliage. This can damage the aesthetic quality of the plant.

How to get rid of bees:
Evicting a bee colony near your house, garden, or yard can be quite tricky. You can eliminate the likelihood of a bee colony by tidying your green-space as much as possible, and keeping an eye on any potential nesting sites, like compost bins, bird boxes, or piles of decaying plant matter. Try to avoid leaving food-stuff outside as much as possible. If you're dealing with carpenter bees, then you're better off working after sundown and wear protective clothing, as certain individuals can be highly allergic to bee stings. It's important to keep in mind that while certain bees can be definite pests, others are much more likely to help our garden grow than they are to provide us with any kind of problem.

Desperate to get rid of pests today? Be sure to call or text us at Bayou Cajun Termite and Pest Control!