3 Ways That Bees Can Damage Your Home
Everyone knows that termites can damage homes, but not everyone knows that there are lots of other pests that can cause expensive structural damage. You may be surprised to learn that even bees can damage your home. Here are three ways that this can happen.
They tunnel into wood
Some types of bees, like carpenter bees, make their nests by tunneling into wood. This isn't a problem if they decide to live in a dead tree or a hollow log, but when they set their sights on the side of your house, things are more serious. Over the years, the bees will expand their nest, and eventually, their tunnels can be several feet long.
Fortunately, this damage doesn't happen overnight. Serious structural damage only happens when large numbers of bees are allowed to tunnel into your home for multiple years. If you notice bees crawling into holes in the side of your house, treat the holes with insecticide to discourage their nesting activity and protect your home.
They use moisture to expand their nest
Honeybees don't chew through wood like carpenter bees do, but they can still do a lot of damage. When they need to expand their nest, they moisten your drywall so that they can move it more easily. After enough of the drywall has been moistened and removed, you will see a wet patch on your interior wall. This is a major warning sign that further damage is on the way. If you don't get rid of the nest, the bees will continue moistening and removing wall materials until they burst through the wall and into the interior of your home.
They produce a lot of honey
Honeybees produce a lot of honey, and that's not a good thing when they're storing it inside your walls or in your attic. An average honeybee colony can produce about 60 pounds of honey in a season, and if that honey melts, it will ooze out of the honeycombs and into your wood and insulation. This can weaken your home's structure and it can also lead to the development of mold. Honey can melt if the bees inside the colony die and aren't keeping it cool with their wings anymore, so avoid trapping the bees inside the colony or killing them with insecticides.
Bees can cause a lot of damage to your home. Tunnels, moisture damage, and honey damage can all cause expensive structural damage, so if you have a bee problem, you need to call a pest control company like ASAP Bee Removal.