Silver Bullet Pest ControlPerfectly round holes in the deck, fascia or eaves — and big black bees hovering around them every spring? Those are carpenter bees. Silver Bullet Pest Control treats the tunnels, seals them up and helps you keep the bees from coming back to homes across Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
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Text us a photo of the holes and the sawdust underneath — we'll tell you if it's carpenter bees.
The way to get rid of carpenter bees is to treat inside each tunnel (gallery) with an insecticide dust, leave the holes open for a few days so returning bees contact it, then seal the holes and paint or stain the wood so new bees don't move in. Spraying the bees you see flying doesn't reach the eggs and larvae inside the wood, and plugging the holes right away traps them in to chew back out. Treatment works best in spring, when females are drilling and laying eggs. Silver Bullet Pest Control treats and seals carpenter bee damage across North Jersey — call or text 973-510-2585.
Carpenter bee coverage is included in Silver Bullet's Plus plan, starting at $75.99 a month, and in the Premium plan, starting at $105.99 a month. A one-time carpenter bee treatment is quoted on the call, because the price depends on how many holes there are and how high they are.
| Service | Price | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Plus plan with carpenter bee coverage | $75.99/mo | Also adds mice control and a yearly WDO report |
| Premium plan | $105.99/mo | Adds termite control, stink bugs, ticks & mosquitoes |
| One-time carpenter bee treatment | Call for quote | Depends on number and height of holes |
Plan prices are starting prices and need an initial fee and a 12-month agreement. See every Silver Bullet price.
Carpenter bees are the large, shiny black-and-yellow bees that hover around porches and rooflines in spring. They don't eat wood like termites do — they chew tunnels into it to raise their young. One hole isn't a disaster, but the same bees and their offspring come back to the same wood year after year and keep extending the tunnels.
Not sure? Text a photo of the hole and the bee to 973-510-2585.
They're about the same size and both buzz loudly, but they behave very differently around a house:
| Carpenter bee | Bumble bee | |
|---|---|---|
| Abdomen (rear end) | Shiny, bare and mostly black | Fuzzy all over, with yellow bands |
| Where it nests | Tunnels drilled into wood — decks, fascia, eaves, sheds | In the ground, old rodent burrows, under sheds or in thick grass |
| Lives in | Small family groups reusing the same wood | Colonies of dozens to a few hundred |
| Stinging | Males can't sting; females rarely do unless handled | Will sting to defend the nest |
| Damage to your house | Yes — holes, tunnels, stains and woodpecker damage | No — they don't damage wood |
| What to do | Treat the galleries and seal the holes | Usually leave them alone unless the nest is in a high-traffic spot |
More detail: carpenter bee vs. bumble bee. If what you have looks more like a wasp or yellow jacket, see our bee and wasp removal page.
They pick bare, weathered softwood — pine, cedar, cypress and other untreated or worn lumber. These are the spots we check first:
The most common spot. The underside of fascia boards and exposed rafter tails stay dry and sheltered, and the paint is often worn on older homes.
The underside of handrails, deck rails, stair stringers and joists — especially on decks that haven't been sealed or stained in a few years.
Exposed beams and posts in porch ceilings, pergolas and arbors. Cedar and other natural wood finishes are a favorite.
Wooden sheds, fence rails, garage trim, window frames and backyard play equipment — anywhere bare wood faces the sun.
Three different insects can damage the wood in a New Jersey home. They leave different clues and need different treatment:
Carpenter bees work mostly in exposed outdoor wood. The tunnel goes in about an inch, then turns and runs along the grain — so the damage inside is bigger than the hole suggests.
Carpenter ants hollow out damp wood to nest. They often start where a leak or rot has softened framing, then spread into walls and attics.
Termites eat wood from the inside and come up from the soil, so they work at the foundation level and stay out of sight. They need a different inspection and treatment.
If you see long, ragged gouges along a fascia board or deck rail in late summer or fall, check for carpenter bee holes nearby. Woodpeckers can hear and smell the larvae developing inside the tunnels, and they'll rip open the wood to get to them. The bird damage is often much worse than the bees' original holes — and it opens the wood up to water and rot.
Fixing the woodpecker problem means fixing the bee problem. Once the galleries are treated and sealed and there's nothing left inside to eat, the birds lose interest. Damaged boards may need to be patched or replaced, then primed and painted.
Don't ignore it for another season. Each year the same tunnels get reused and extended, new bees add new holes nearby, and more larvae draw more woodpeckers. A few holes on a fascia board can turn into a board that needs replacing.
We check the fascia, eaves, deck, railings, porch and outbuildings and mark every active hole — there are usually more than the homeowner has spotted.
We apply an insecticide dust directly into each tunnel, where it reaches the eggs, larvae and adult bees living in the wood.
The holes stay open for a short time so bees coming and going pass through the treated tunnel instead of being trapped and chewing a new way out.
Once activity stops, the holes are sealed and we talk through painting, staining or repairing the damaged boards so new bees don't move in.
The adults that spent the winter in old tunnels come out, mate, and females start drilling and laying eggs. This is the best time to treat — catch them before the next generation is sealed in the wood.
Larvae are growing inside the galleries. Treatment still works, and it's a good time to find and mark every hole.
New adults come out briefly, feed, then crawl back into the tunnels for winter. Woodpecker damage is most common now.
The bees are tucked inside the wood. It's a good time to plan repairs and painting so the wood is protected before spring.
Store-bought traps can catch some bees, but they don't treat the larvae already in the wood. If you've had carpenter bees two years in a row, a professional treatment plus sealing usually breaks the cycle.
Tell us where the holes are and roughly how many — a photo helps — and we'll get back to you quickly.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
Yes, over time. One season of holes is mostly cosmetic, but the tunnels get reused and extended every year, and woodpeckers tear the wood open to get the larvae, which lets in water and rot.
Rarely. Males, the ones that hover in your face, have no stinger, and females usually only sting if they're handled or trapped.
No. Treat the holes first and leave them open for a few days so the bees contact the treatment; plugging an untreated hole traps bees inside to chew a new way out.
Spring, usually April and May, when females are drilling and laying eggs. Treating then stops the next generation before it's sealed into the wood.
They're most likely hunting carpenter bee larvae inside the tunnels. Treat and seal the galleries and the woodpeckers lose interest.
It helps a lot. Carpenter bees prefer bare or weathered wood, so paint, and to a lesser degree stain or sealer, makes your wood much less attractive.
A carpenter bee has a shiny, bare black abdomen and drills into wood. A bumble bee is fuzzy all over and nests in the ground.
Traps catch some adult bees, but they don't reach the eggs and larvae already in the wood. They're better as an add-on than a fix.
Yes. We're based in Garfield and treat carpenter bees in Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
No. Carpenter bees drill clean round holes in outdoor wood; termites eat wood from the inside and come up from the soil. If you're not sure, we can inspect for both.
Sí. Hablamos español. Mande una foto de los agujeros al 973-510-2585 y le decimos qué hacer.
Carpenter bee coverage is included in Silver Bullet's Plus plan, starting at $75.99 a month, and in the Premium plan, starting at $105.99 a month. A one-time carpenter bee treatment is quoted on the call, because the price depends on how many holes there are and how high they are.
Based in Garfield, we treat carpenter bees in these towns and across Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated October 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
