What Is A Carpenter Bee

The common name carpenter bee derives from their nesting behavior.

What is a carpenter bee.

The female carpenter bee is the one who makes the hole by chewing through the wood. There are several species of carpenter bee in the united states but the most common one is the virginia carpenter bee xylocopa virginica these bugs are found throughout the southeast but range as far as connecticut to the north and texas in the west. Signs of an infestation. They make enough noise to attract a range of predators including woodpeckers.

Anywhere from 12 25 mm long similar in size and appearance to bumble bees black greenish black metallic blue or purplish blue in color yellow sections on the face males. The carpenter bee is so called because of where it chooses to make it s home. The eastern carpenter bee is similar to most other bee species in that it does not have a queen. Carpenter bee larvae attract predators.

Carpenter bees xylocpa spp are quite different from the garden bumblebees bombus spp and common honeybees apis spp that are so important for plant pollination carpenter bees are so named for their nesting behavior which involves burrowing into dead wood material which can include the structural wood in homes and other buildings. In early spring suspend the traps from eaves and overhangs at the corners of the house porch deck shed barn etc. Hottel recommends double checking wood decks and railings including the undersides for signs of carpenter bees. Most consist of a small wooden box with inch diameter holes drilled in each side and a plastic water bottle suspended below.

Carpenter bee traps can be constructed from simple materials or purchased online. The larva of carpenter bees is large noisy and nutritious. Large carpenter bee xylocopa. Nearly all species burrow into hard plant material such as dead wood or bamboo.

When you have numerous carpenter bee nests you will have numerous larva. They are solitary bees and are not part of a larger hive community. Carpenter bees are species in the genus xylocopa of the subfamily xylocopinae the genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. In xylocopa virginica females are responsible for reproduction foraging and nest construction though they.

To identify early damage to buildings homeowners should regularly inspect the perimeter of the home and surrounding property for the presence of these holes and hovering bees. The most obvious characteristic used to separate large and small bees is size. How to tell if you have a carpenter bee infestation. Not all bee species are beneficial however.

Instead they burrow into soft woods such as the siding of a house to live in and lay larvae. The most common signs of a carpenter bee infestation are the round smooth holes that carpenter bees bore into wood.