Carpenter bees are large shiny black bees you can find hovering around your house during spring. As their name suggests, these bees are infamously known for their habit of drilling holes and ruining wooden structures. Even though they feed on flowers and nectar-like other bees, carpenter bees habitually make tunnels inside constructions for reproduction and egg-laying. Although harmless until provoked, these fuzzy-looking bees tend to sting. Let us find out more about them.

1. Do Carpenter Bees Sting?

Male carpenter bees cannot attack. Whereas the ones with the bluster, the female carpenter bees have stingers and can sting when under harm. Like any other creature, if you try to swat these bees or hurt them in any way, they are likely to attack as a defence. But leave them alone, and they can be just as harmless.

2. Carpenter Bees Sting Treatment

Panicking after getting stung by a carpenter bee will likely trigger unnecessary shock for your body. The pointers mentioned below will help you understand how to treat a carpenter’s bee sting.

• Stay Calm – Remove yourself from the area to avoid another attack in a state of panic.
• Remove the Stinger – Scrape it off with gauze and remember to do this as soon as possible since the stinger carries the venom.
• Treat the Area – Wash the area with cold soap water to remove excess venom from the skin.
• Apply Something Cold – An ice pack or even a bag of frozen peas will lower the swelling.
• Seek Help for the Pain – Get yourself a dose of effective over-the-counter painkillers like Ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Check for Any Severe Reactions – Do not scratch the area too much since it could lead to secondary reactions. Watch out for any excessive swelling, breathing difficulty, nausea, and dizziness.

3. How to Get Rid of the Carpenter Bee?

In order to get rid of carpenter bees some of the precautionary measures you can rely on include painting the wooden structures near your house to avoid the infestation of carpenter bees, plugging the holes currently present with dowels and wood glue and asking for professional help.

4. Do Carpenter Bee Stings Hurt?

Like any other bee, wasp, or hornet sting, even the California carpenter bee sting is venomous and contains melittin. That is responsible for the pain and burning sensation that follows a sting. The venom is known to spread quickly through your body triggering heat sensors to feel the inflammation.

5. What Happens After the Carpenter Bee Stings?

Since a sting is their last resort of protection, a female carpenter bee dies after the attack. Talking about the sting, the person who got stung would initially observe a severe burning sensation, redness and swelling in and around the area. Post the dialling down of the pain, a dull ache would follow for the next few hours.

6. What Should You Do If Stung By a Carpenter Bee?

After getting the appropriate treatment to lower the pain, the first thing you should do is seek professional help to avoid any recurring episodes. Schedule an appointment with the trained staff of pest control services and leave your carpenter bee sting worries behind.

7. Are Carpenter Bees Sting Dangerous?

Since stinging leads to death for them, carpenter bees sting you only as their last resort to protect themselves. They essentially avoid any interaction with humans and are territorial and avoid living in large populations together. So a few California carpenter bees drilling holes in your backyard shouldn’t be a major cause of concern.

8. How Can You Avoid Being Stung by a Carpenter Bee?

Since precaution is better than seeking a cure, later on, let’s figure out what you can do to avoid facing the wrath of a carpenter bee.

• Do not poke, hold, or squeeze the carpenter bees, especially the females.
• Stay quiet if you feel surrounded by them
• Wear shoes without fail when you are outside to avoid stepping on the carpenter bees
• Place the bee house in another location to move them away from your home.

Do not kill the carpenter bees or any other pollinators with pesticides. It will not only harm the environment but cause immeasurable damage to the ecosystem. Instead, rely on professional help and consider pest control service providers to deal with the infestation.