April 2018

PEST CONTROL... from page 27.

Rather, these pests are wood-bor- ers that drill holes in the wood in order to construct their nests. If left untreated, this insect “carpentry” work can be highly destructive. Other than observing the insects themselves (they do not hide like termites), the most common sign of a carpenter bee or ant infestation is frass, which is a fine sawdust-like material left that is a by-product of their boring and tunnel- ing activities. Carpenter ants are social insects that live in large colonies, and car- penter bees are solitary. Each female bee digs her own individual nest. However, what is more important to property managers is that both these insects make their nests inside wood, and that behavior can cause signifi- cant property damage. Female carpenter bees hollow out holes and bore out tunnels after mak- ing the entranceway. Once the tun- nels are excavated, nests are made with pollen to feed the developing larvae. Carpenter bees often reuse the same tunnels year after year, con- tinuing to extend the damage into the wood. Over time, this tunneling weak- ens the wood because of the drilled holes, and because of accompanying wood rot due to rainwater seeping into the entrance holes. Also, wood- pecker damage is common because these birds enjoy eating the bee lar- vae and will peck holes in the wood to reach them. Carpenter ants also make their nests in wood where they create intricate galleries that they can

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