Wasps and carpenter bees
Wasp and carpenter bee control for Amarillo-area homes
Nests under the eaves and round holes in the trim. Wasps and carpenter bees are covered by your Home Protection Plan, with a technician visit about every two months.
Overview
Nests in the eaves and holes in the wood
Wasps and carpenter bees have little in common, but they turn up in the same places: eaves, porch ceilings, door and window trim, decks, sheds and fences. Paper wasps build open, umbrella-shaped nests that hang from a single stalk. Yellowjackets build nests enclosed in paper except for the entrance, often in the ground but also in wall voids and under eaves. Carpenter bees drill nearly perfectly round entrance holes, about half an inch across, into bare wood.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension notes that wasps are most likely to sting when their nest is disturbed, and that nest control is dangerous for anyone with a heart condition or a known allergy to wasp venom. Male carpenter bees hover and dart at people but cannot sting, and females rarely sting unless handled. The real problem with carpenter bees is the tunnels, which can damage wood, especially where the same boards are used year after year.
Your Home Protection Plan covers wasps and carpenter bees, so your technician can check eaves and trim on a regular schedule rather than after a nest has grown or a hole has appeared.
What is covered
Wasps and carpenter bees are both part of your Home Protection Plan:
- Wasps, such as paper wasps and yellowjackets: included in your plan
- Carpenter bees: included in your plan
Not sure what is nesting on your property? Call (806) 209-4849 and describe the nest or the hole, and we will tell you how it is covered.
The Home Protection Plan at a glance
One year-round plan covers most of the pests on this site, so you are not booking a separate visit for each problem. Here is how it works.
- Visits about every two months, year-round: six a year, each within about 15 days of its target date
- Covers rats, mice, spiders, wasps, carpenter bees, earwigs, non-wood-boring ants, millipedes and centipedes, American and Palmetto roaches, stink bugs, pill bugs and silverfish
- Add-ons: carpenter ants, voles and exterior fleas and ticks, priced separately, plus interior liquid application at no extra charge
- A 100% warranty: free re-service if covered pests return between visits and, if the same activity is verified to persist after two free re-services, a refund of your last charge and the end of your plan with no cancellation fee
- A 12-, 18- or 24-month initial commitment: 3 business days to cancel after you sign, and an early-termination fee if you end it sooner
- After your commitment ends, your plan continues on the same schedule until you ask us to stop (at least 30 days before your next scheduled service)
Signs of wasps and carpenter bees
Look up, and look closely at wood. Most nests and holes are easy to see once you know what you are looking for.
Paper nests under eaves and overhangs
Paper wasp nests hang from a single stalk, with one tier of six-sided cells facing down. A mature nest holds roughly 20 to 30 wasps.
A steady stream of wasps at one spot
Wasps flying in and out of a hole in the ground, a wall void or a gap beside a porch usually point to a yellowjacket nest, which is enclosed except for its entrance.
Round holes about half an inch wide
Carpenter bees usually attack unpainted wood such as fascia, eaves, railings, decks and window sills. The hole is nearly perfectly round, and coarse sawdust may lie below it.
Stains below the hole
Carpenter bees defecate near the entrance, so a stain on the wall or trim beneath a hole is a giveaway.
Large bees hovering near the porch
Male carpenter bees guard the nest area, hovering and darting at anything that flies past, including people. They cannot sting.
How it works
What a typical visit looks like
Eaves and exposed wood typically get the most attention.
Inspect eaves, trim and outbuildings
Your technician may check the eaves, porch ceilings, door and window trim, fascia, decks, sheds and fences for nests, wasp activity and carpenter bee holes.
Sweep and treat the eaves as needed
Your technician may sweep eaves with a telescoping pole, and a duster head on the pole can treat the eaves, arches and overhangs where wasps like to build.
Treat where carpenter bees are working
Areas where carpenter bees are active can be treated, along with cracks and entry points around trim.
Come back every two months
Wasps often rebuild in the same general spots each year, so regular visits give your technician a chance to check those spots again.
Seasons
When wasps and carpenter bees are active in the Texas Panhandle
Wasp colonies follow a yearly cycle. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, queens that spent the winter in sheltered spots start new nests in spring, colonies grow through the summer, and yellowjacket colonies reach their largest size in August or September. That is why encounters seem to spike in late summer, when nests are at their largest.
Then the season ends. Most yellowjacket nests die after the first hard frost, and the average first freeze in Amarillo arrives around October 20 (National Weather Service). Newly mated queens go looking for sheltered places to overwinter, such as cracks, loose bark and attics, and on warm winter days they can wander indoors. Carpenter bees overwinter as adults, often in tunnels they already dug, then emerge and mate the following spring.
Season by season
Spring
Overwintered queens start new wasp nests, and carpenter bees emerge, mate and begin work on their tunnels.
Summer
Nests grow through the summer. Workers make up most of a paper wasp nest, and new nests are often built in the same general place as last year.
Late summer and early fall
Yellowjacket colonies reach their maximum size in August or September, followed by the emergence of males and next year’s queens in October and November.
Late fall and winter
Most yellowjacket nests die after the first hard frost. Overwintering queens hide in sheltered spots and can show up indoors on warm days.
Wasp and carpenter bee questions
Have a question that is not here? Call us and we will answer it.
Call (806) 209-4849Are wasps and carpenter bees covered by the Home Protection Plan?
Yes, both are included. If you are not sure which insect you have, call (806) 209-4849 and describe the nest or the hole, and we will tell you how it is covered.
Do carpenter bees damage wood?
They can. Carpenter bees tunnel into wood to nest, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension notes that their nesting can damage decks, patios and other wooden structures. Damage is most likely where the same boards are used year after year, and bare or unpainted wood is what they favor.
Can carpenter bees sting?
Males, the ones that hover near you, cannot sting. Females can but rarely do unless they are handled.
Can I remove a wasp nest myself?
Wasps are most likely to sting when their nest is disturbed, and a disturbed colony can send many wasps after you. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension advises against nest control for anyone with a known allergy to wasp venom or a heart condition. If you see a nest, keep your distance and call us at (806) 209-4849.
Why do wasps keep building in the same spot?
Wasps build new nests every year, and the new ones are often in the same general place as the old ones. Regular visits give your technician a chance to check those spots again.
What if wasps return between visits?
Call us at (806) 209-4849. Your plan includes a 100% warranty: if pests covered by your plan return between visits, we re-service your home at no charge.
Service areas
Where we work
We serve Amarillo and nearby communities across the Texas Panhandle. Choose your community to see what is active there through the year.
Ask about wasps and carpenter bees
Request a free quote and we will confirm your plan and schedule your first visit, or call us at (806) 209-4849 and tell us where you have seen nests or holes.