How to spot carpenter bees and save your home

Carpenter bees are often mistaken for bumblebees -- but, if left untreated, they can be a serious threat to your property. Experts say knowing where they like to hang out around your home can help get rid of them.

"Underneath a deck, where they are out of the elements, would be a great place for a carpenter bee to drill its hole," said Ralph Russell with Sage Pest Control.

Russell says that newer homes aren't as likely to have carpenter bees and that older homes with unpainted or weathered wood are more attractive to the bees.

For this reason, you can protect your home by painting or staining wood, using traps or calling pest control.

How can you tell carpenter bees from bumblebees? Russell said they usually don't have yellow stripes.

According to Russell, your home may have carpenter bees if you see sawdust material or small holes in wood.

When in doubt, call an exterminator.