Females supply each cell with “bee bread” (a mixture of pollen and nectar), lay an egg on the food mass and seal off each cell with chewed wood pulp. Females may use an old abandoned nest tunnel or excavate a new gallery to lay her eggs in a series of six to eight cells. The adults emerge in the spring (April and May) when the temperatures reach 70º F, mate, and search for nest sites. Life CycleĪdult female and male carpenter bees overwinter (survive the winter) in abandoned nest tunnels in which they have stored small amounts of pollen. The male carpenter bee can be identified by having white markings on the head. The bumble bee has a hairy abdomen, black or yellow in color. The carpenter bee can be identified by having bright yellow, orange or white hairs on the thorax and a black shiny abdomen. Carpenter bees are robust, heavy-bodied bees that range ¾ to I inch in length. Carpenter bees nest in excavated wooden tunnels. Homeowners often refer to these large, dark colored insects as bumble bees because of their similarities in size and appearance. The females do have a stinger but are docile and rarely sting and then only if handled or touched. Although the male is aggressive, it does not have a stinger, making it harmless. The male carpenter bee is very territorial and protects its nesting sites by hovering, buzzing, and attacking intruders. Homeowners are often frightened by these pesky black bees that fly erratically around their homes. The bees chew one half inch per day to open the entrance hole, and then move at a faster pace as they move with the grain to expand the tunnels. These insects bore one-half (½) inch wide holes that appear to be perfectly round on exterior wooden surfaces of house siding, eaves, window trim, porch ceilings, fascia boards, shingles, decks and even outdoor wooden furniture. Carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica) are very active from early spring through summer around houses and other wooden structures.
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