"Let me tell you about the boards and the bees...."

If you’ve been working around the outside of your home this spring, you’ve probably been buzzed by a large, intimidating-looking bee. These are carpenter bees and they are very active from early spring through summer around homes and other exterior structures. The females bore one-half inch wide perfectly round holes on exterior wooden surfaces of your home to make tunnels for her nests. The typical areas in which these pesky insects inflict their damage include siding, eaves, window trim, porch ceilings, fascia boards, shingles, decks and other outdoor structures. Over time, if any of these areas of your home become a carpenter bee’s nest and are left unrepaired or are not replaced, the structural integrity of the wood can become compromised. In addition, we have also witnessed carpenter bee damage with Masonite siding as well. Belk Builders, Charlotte’s premier home exterior contractor, is no stranger to the destruction these pests can cause. We repair the damage and install high quality products, like Hardie® Fiber Cement Siding, Hardie® Trim and fascia boards and other upscale vinyl siding and trim to make your home impervious to the harmful effects carpenter bees can cause.

If upon closer inspection of your home’s exterior you discover the telltale signs of carpenter bees such as holes in your woodwork, fine sawdust lying around, unsightly stains on your siding or a buzzing sound coming from within the wood, then you may have issues lying under the surface of your siding, eaves or trim. A single bee’s nest site results in slight damage, while repeated colonization over several years, however, may result in considerable structural damage. In addition, if left open, these holes may allow water to seep in and ultimately rot the wood, wreaking more havoc than the bees themselves. As if all the destruction caused by the actual carpenter bees excavation isn’t enough, their larvae are exceptionally noisy and often attract woodpeckers which will peck through the surface of your siding in order to feed on the immature bees. To help deter carpenter bees looking for potential nesting sites and the subsequent further damage woodpeckers could inflict, you should inspect the exterior of your home regularly and make sure that all wood surfaces are protected with something impenetrable, like upscale vinyl siding or Hardie® Plank fiber cement siding.

Belk Builders has been helping homeowners in the Queen City protect their homes from the nuisance insects and their predators can create for more than 25 years. We are the Charlotte area’s premier Hardie® Plank siding installer and we specialize in providing the highest quality vinyl siding and trim, premium roofing replacement and window replacement to our customers, defending your home’s exterior from the harm carpenter bees, termites, carpenter ants and even woodpeckers cause. Contact us at (704) 400-4710 or www.belkbuilders.com. You can also visit our website today to learn more, or schedule a free estimate.