Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa

A carpenter bee on a flower

Summary

The largest of our native bees, these gentle giants get their common name from their habit of using their strong mandibles to excavate precisely rounded tunnels inside wood. They prefer soft, weathered wood for this purpose, such as standing dead trees. If this is not readily available, they may decide to take up residence in structural timbers such as fascia,decks or porch railings. Small piles of sawdust or smears of frass (excrement) are a tell-tale sign that carpenter bees are at work. To deter them, simply apply a fresh coat of paint or stain to any exposed or weathered wood surfaces.
In spring, territorial male carpenter bees are often seen flying about and buzzing loudly. Since males do not have stingers, these bees pose no threat to humans. While they look quite similar to bumble bees, both male and female carpenter bees have one easily-observed distinguishing feature: their shiny, nearly hairless abdomens.

More Details

FAMILY

Apidae

LIFE CYCLE NOTES

Each female creates her own nesting tunnel. Inside, she deposits loaves of ‘bee bread’—balls of pollen and nectar-- upon which she lays her giant eggs (up to 15 mm long). She forms partitions between each egg cell by mixing her saliva with sawdust, creating a substance very similar to particle board. Thus, each larva is supplied with ‘a room of its own’, along with all the food it will need to grow.

FORAGING NOTES

Generalists, pollinating a wide variety of plants.

SOCIALITY

Solitary, communal or social

Ecosystem Connections

As generalists, carpenter bees feed on, and pollinate, a wide variety of plants and crops. Like bumble bees, they are early risers and can be seen hard at work in the early morning. They use their long tongue to drink nectar, but will occasionally rob nectar from harder-to-reach flowers like penstemon and salvia, by chewing a slit at the base near the nectar. They also use sonication or ‘buzz pollination’ to vibrate and loosen pollen from the anthers of hard-to access flowers such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

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