![]() ![]() Of most concern to homeowners is the potential structural and aesthetic damage that the bees can cause as they bore into wood, particularly if the wood is part of a home, deck or wooden furniture. Female carpenter bees do possess a stinger but seldom use it unless they are handled or provoked. As such, they are not aggressive because they have no queen or nest to protect. Further, carpenter bees are solitary and do not have a communal colony and a queen as do bumble bees. They cannot sting because they lack a stinger. Because they look like bumbles bees, which do sting, they evoke a great deal of concern among many people. ![]() Males buzz in front of people, giving the impression that they are guarding a nest and are ready to sting. Obermeyer).Ĭarpenter bees sometimes intimidate people because the males are territorial and will patrol an area where females bees may emerge in the spring time. Carpenter bees then emerge again in April and May to repeat this cycle.īeginning of hole that will eventually become nearly perfectly round and approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. Fall emerged bees can either create new holes or enlarge holes made previously in order to pass the winter within them. As the eggs hatch in mid summer, the larvae feed on the pollen provisions, mature and emerge as adults in the fall. Each cell is provisioned with a pollen ball into which she will lay an individual egg before sealing it off. After tunneling is completed the bee will create individual cells using bits of sawdust and frass along the length of the tunnel. Tunnels usually consist of an entrance hole that penetrates into the wood ½ to 1 inch across the grain of the wood and then turns at a right angle to follow the wood grain for 6 – 8 inches. Tunnel entrances are approximately ½ inch in diameter, just large enough for the bee to enter. Holes are created by the female carpenter bee when it selects an appropriate site and begins to chew. In nature, dead trees and fallen logs are selected, but in urban areas, decks, siding, rafters, window trim, fascia, wooden furniture, play sets, exposed pole barns and other areas substitute nicely. Harder woods and those pressure treated or painted are less attractive to carpenter bees. Most commonly carpenter bees select bare, unpainted and weathered softwoods including redwood, cedar, cypress and pine. They are most often noticed as they bore into wood and create tunnels for egg laying and for protection during the winter. Obermeyer)īehaviorally, carpenter bees also are quite unique. ![]()
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