Carpenter bees are the large, fat black-and-yellow bees that hover around DFW eaves, decks, and outdoor wood structures every spring. Unlike bumblebees, carpenter bees have a shiny black abdomen (bumblebees are fuzzy all over). Females drill perfectly round, 1/2-inch holes into wood to build nesting tunnels — fascia boards, eaves, deck rails, soffits, pergolas, fence posts, and any unpainted or weathered outdoor wood is fair game.

The damage from carpenter bees compounds over years. A single bee makes one hole and a tunnel 6-10 inches deep. Each spring, the same hole is reused and expanded, and new tunnels branch off. Over a decade, a single fascia board can develop dozens of tunnels totaling several feet of internal damage. Woodpeckers compound the problem by drilling out larvae, leaving large irregular holes in the wood.

Male carpenter bees are aggressive-looking but stingless. Females CAN sting but rarely do. The real damage isn't risk to people — it's structural wood damage and the secondary woodpecker activity that wrecks fascia, soffits, and trim. The CanMan's carpenter bee program treats active holes, applies residual product to vulnerable wood surfaces, recommends sealing and painting strategies, and provides recurring spring protection.

Carpenter bee pressure in DFW peaks April through June, with secondary activity in late summer. Homes with cedar trim, redwood decks, or unpainted/weathered outdoor wood are prime targets — common in older Fort Worth, East Dallas, Lakewood, Highland Park, and Coppell neighborhoods. Suburbs with mature decks and pergolas — Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Southlake, Flower Mound — see steady annual carpenter bee pressure. Even painted wood can be infested if the paint is weathered or worn through. The CanMan recommends combining treatment with proactive painting, sealing, and hole-plugging for permanent protection.