Wood Destroying Insects and Winter
Many of the insects that destroy wood disappear in the winter. The carpenter bees have drilled galleries in wood, crawled inside, and plugged the hole. Like most insects that damage wood, the carpenter bee female will overwinter snug like a bug in a rug. What kinds of insects destroy wood, and what do they do during the colder months of the year? Our answers might leave you chilled.
1. Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees overwinter just fine. They build galleries in wood, lay eggs, and as the weather turns cold, they crawl into the entry to their burrow and plug the hole from the inside. They’ve shut the door on winter, and the wood will protect them from the cold. Come spring, they will remove the plug and begin foraging for nectar and pollen.
2. Termites
Termites don’t slow down during the winter. Like the carpenter bees, the wood in which they live protects them from the cold of winter. The fact that they live under a building also means that the wet weather does not impact them. They continue to chew wood over the colder months and reproduce. Come spring, if the colony is large enough, it will divide, and a new queen will swarm with the older workers.
3. Wood Boring Beetles
The beetles that chew wood and drill into trees have much the same wintery experience as do the carpenter bees and the termites. Some species only live a single year, and the adults might die after laying eggs. The eggs hatch, and the larvae continue to chew the wood in the tree. In some species, the adults may live for several years and remain active in the tree. The tree protects them from the weather, feeds them, and provides water.
The sad result is that most wood-destroying insects overwinter just fine thanks to the protection from their wooden homes. If you have concerns about wood-destroying insects and your home or business, give us a call. Winter is an excellent time to deal with pest issues involving wood-destroying insects.
