Carpenter Bee Control in Lexington, KY
If you’ve noticed large, bumblebee-like insects hovering around your deck, eaves, or fence, or perfectly round holes drilled into untreated wood, you’re likely dealing with carpenter bees. At Berner Pest Solutions, we provide targeted carpenter bee control in Lexington, KY that stops the damage at its source and protects your home’s wood from one season to the next. As an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE)-led company, we treat the active galleries, not just the bees you see.
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How to Identify Carpenter Bees
- •Size & color: Large and robust, 1/2 to 1 inch long, black with yellow markings, often mistaken for bumblebees.
- •Telltale sign: Perfectly round, 1/2-inch holes bored into untreated or weathered wood, often with sawdust below and yellowish staining beneath the entrance.
- •Behavior: Unlike honeybees, carpenter bees are solitary and do not live in colonies. Males are territorial and may hover aggressively near you, but they cannot sting. Females can sting but rarely do.
Why Carpenter Bees Are a Problem
A single bee drilling one hole seems harmless. The problem is that carpenter bees return to the same wood year after year, expanding old galleries and starting new ones. Over several seasons this tunneling can cause real structural damage to decks, railings, fascia boards, fences, and eaves. The activity also attracts woodpeckers, which tear into the wood to feed on the larvae and create far larger holes. Treating early (and sealing properly afterward) is what keeps a minor nuisance from becoming an expensive repair.
Our Carpenter Bee Treatment Approach
- ✓Inspection: We locate active galleries, old holes, and the wood surfaces most at risk around decks, eaves, fascia, and outbuildings.
- ✓Targeted gallery treatment: We apply an insecticidal dust directly into active nest holes, where it reaches the bees and developing larvae inside the tunnels.
- ✓Sealing: Once the gallery is no longer active, holes are sealed to stop reuse and discourage return visits the following spring.
- ✓Preventive perimeter: We treat and advise on high-risk wood surfaces to reduce new drilling during peak season.
- ✓Prevention guidance: Practical tips on painting or sealing exposed wood, since carpenter bees strongly prefer bare, unfinished surfaces.
Why Choose Berner Pest Solutions
Berner Pest Solutions is led by an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) with more than 14 years in the pest control industry. We focus on treating the source (the active galleries) rather than just knocking down the bees you happen to see. Treatments are pet-friendly, our general plans are month-to-month with no cancellation fees, and we back our work with a guarantee. One-time stinging insect and carpenter bee treatments are listed on our pest control pricing page. Also dealing with paper wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets? See our wasp & stinging insect control services.
Dealing with wasps or hornets instead? Our guide to wasps, hornets & yellow jackets in Lexington covers identifying the stinging species we see most, and how to get rid of them safely.
Carpenter Bee FAQ
Are carpenter bees dangerous?
They pose little threat to people: males can’t sting and females rarely do. The real risk is to your home: their tunneling weakens wooden structures over time, and the larvae attract destructive woodpeckers.
When should carpenter bee treatment happen?
Early spring is ideal, when adults emerge to mate and look for nesting sites. Treating as activity begins, then sealing the wood, gives the best protection through the warm months.
Can I just plug the holes myself?
Sealing a hole before the gallery is treated traps live bees that simply chew a new exit, and leaves larvae to emerge next year. Effective control means treating the active tunnel first, then sealing once it’s clear.
Schedule Carpenter Bee Control in Lexington, KY
Protect your deck, fence, and eaves before the damage adds up. Berner Pest Solutions provides expert, pet-friendly carpenter bee control across Lexington and the surrounding Central Kentucky communities.
Get a Free Carpenter Bee Control Quote
Seeing round holes in your deck rails or big black bees hovering by the eaves? Tell us what you’re seeing and we’ll confirm the culprit, treat the active galleries, and help you keep them from coming back. One-time treatment rates are on our pricing page.