Recently, while touring properties with my agents, we noticed that several vacation homes had at one time been occupied by other than their occasional human residents. The tell-tale signs were obvious… the remains of the formidable carpenter wood-devouring bee. Carpenter bees are prevalent throughout the United States, so you may already be familiar with them. But just in case you aren't, here's a photo of one supplied by Wikipedia.
Here in Western North Carolina, you may find them foraging around flowers, shrubs and under the eaves of buildings. This bee even will bore into wood to make its home. And unlike bumble bees, these buzzing creatures are known aggressively to go after lawyers, dentists, and yes...even innocent home owners and their devoted REALTORS®.
We had an encounter of this kind last summer. While spending the weekend with friends who had listed their vacation property in a mountain community with me, we discovered another party of “visitors in a giant nest! And it’s true, those bees can be hostile.
One of the suites has a large sunken tub and solarium where our host couple was enjoying a “good soak” early Sunday morning. Suddenly, out from the tub dashed the two bubble-lovers—au naturel— into the great room,with a swarm of angry female carpenter bees after them.. Luckily, they evaded the attack! and Had any of us been allergic to bee sting the-display of flying bubbles might not have been, as it turned out to be, quite comical .. ..So it is important to consider the” little things” when you are investing in real estate…things you may not have considered. (THAT’S a good reason to get a conversation going with your REALTOR®.)
Here is some information you may not know:
Carpenter bees bore holes into wood overhangs, fence posts, and trees. They like to crawl between cracks of siding and roofing. Boring into wood, they drill a hole about 1/2" wide, but guess what? That hole only will go straight for an inch or two! Then it will turn 90 degrees where a nest is situated along with its egg chamber.
Carpenter bees lay their eggs at the very end of the chamber, place food alongside the egg, and then seal it all up tight. I have talked with specialists in carpenter bee control. They tell me that it is NOT uncommon for an egg chamber to be two(2) or more feet long and have numerous egg chambers branching out from the main chamber.
Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved Asheville ECO Real Estate: Trends, Legacies & The Home Place Greenolina
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