Carpenter bees are large and black and closely resemble bumblebees. They are often referred to as the "carpenter's bees" due to their interest in drilling into wood. These bees make holes in the wood because they are looking for areas to nest. They are able to puncture wooden structures even for 13 mm, and they have no qualms about looking even in your home. While carpenter bees generally only do cosmetic damage, they can potentially create structural damage if the behavior is repeated over time. The males of the carpenter bees are unable to sting, while the females do, but only if provoked. To identify carpenter bees, read on.
Steps
Step 1. Look for a bee with a shiny black body, with white, orange or yellow hair on the chest
Step 2. Measure the bee by comparing it with a ruler
It is usually about 1.9-2.54cm in length.
Step 3. Look for white spots on the head
The females have a black head, and the males have white spots.
Step 4. Look at the thick, dark hair on the legs
Step 5. Check for bees that make holes in wood or fly near tree holes
Carpenter bees look for every object in wood and often fly nearby, checking if it is possible to nest there. When a bee pierces or continues to enter and exit a hole in the wood, it means that it is creating the nest. The male often wanders around protecting the female who is working.
Step 6. Examine the weathered wood to see if you find any holes
Carpenter bees like a wide range of soft and hard woods and especially the seasoned one. So look for them in wooden and garden furniture. Around the house they can look for holes in the rough wood near the roof, such as in the eaves and gables. If you have had carpenter bees' nests in one area of the house in the past and if you see other bees in the same place, they are probably carpenter bees, because they like to return to the same nesting places.
Advice
- Carpenter bees hibernate in the winter and come out in the spring, when they are extremely active, as they are preparing to nest.
- The male also has the role of chasing away any threats (or what he perceives as such), such as other insects or humans themselves.
- They hover less than bumblebees but more than hummingbirds; and fly in an irregular zigzag pattern.
- The male remains in the air to protect the other working bees and, not having a sting, defends the nest by throwing itself at the subject who is threatening the area.
