When we hear the word bees, there is a general perception of them being yellow feathered honey bee or bumblebee. We often come across them. The honey bees appear to be photogenic and human friendly to an extent. This is why we see many people with the camera taking shots of them.
Different species of bees are present in Illinois
You may not know but according to a report, there are around 228 species of bees in Illinois and approximately 3500 bee species are present in the United States. Most of the bees found in Illinois are classed as solitary bees. The solitary here simply means that these bees do not live in colonies like honey or bumblebees. They like to make little holes in the trees in their home. They also live inside the holes in the ground.
The solitary bees collect pollen from different plants and flowers and some of them are only attracted towards one or two flowers only to collect the pollen. A rare type is Andrena Violae; it is said that this be is attracted towards violets only. Macro pics, Nomada and Cuckoo bees are some other very interesting species of solitary bees.
Freaky carpenter bees
It has been recently reported that some people have spotted freaky bees in Illinois that not only sting but also take chunks of their furniture and other wooden items bit by bit. These news posts spread a bit of frenzy in the town and we now know that these bees are called carpenter bees. It has been recommended to keep your vet's contact details handy in case of any emergency.
How to spot carpenter bees?
If you live in Illinois, you might be wondering how you are going to spot the difference between the carpenter and other bees hovering around in the atmosphere so you can ward them off. Well, the carpenter bees share body shape or appearance with bumblebees to some extent. The former lacks the yellow marking on the abdomens. The male and female carpenter bees can differ in their appearance from each other as some female species of carpenter bees have very colorful and metallic bodies.
There are seven species of carpenter bees that have been recorded so far and not all have the same body size. In general terms, though, they have black and sleek bodies with their thorax covered with tiny yellowish hair.
How to get rid of these freaky creatures?
There are multiple products available to control the carpenter bees from spreading. These products can also limit their damage to your valuables. The best and recommended practice is to call your local pest control officer for inspection. The officer, on their visit, will not only inspect your house by bringing their knowledge into practice but they will also apply the dust insecticide to any openings in the wood. Once the insecticide is applied, after some time, it is necessary to fill those openings or holes with some sort of paint or anything suggested by the pest control officer. It has also been noted that some aerosol sprays are good to prevent or kill carpenter bees.
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