Carpenter Bee Interesting Facts

The name “carpenter bee” is derived from the fact that these bees build their nests in wood.  Like other types of wood burrowing insects, carpenter bees can cause problems for home or business owners.  Carpenter bee nests can cause cosmetic damage and in severe infestations, over time, they can lead to structural damage.

Here are some interesting facts about carpenter bees…

• Only the female carpenter bee does the nest building.  The female carpenter bee will work hard to drill out a nickel sized hole that is perfectly dug.  She will dig a couple of inches in and then move at a right angle following the grain of wood.

• Male carpenter bees put on a “tough guy” act as they buzz around and try to intimidate anyone that is near them.

• Male carpenter bees are not able to sting.  Female carpenter bees are able to sting, but only if provoked.

• Carpenter bees are often mistaken for a bumble bee.  They are similar in size, but their coloring is nearly opposite. • A carpenter bee can grow up to an inch long.

• You will know a male carpenter bee by the plain black head and a female by the black head with spots.

• Carpenter bees hibernate all winter long. During the springtime, male carpenter bees will be out foraging for food while the females work to ready the nest for her new brood of eggs.

• A short while after male carpenter bees mate, they die.  It won’t take long for the females to die after they lay their eggs and seal up the larvae into the tunnels that they dug out.

A Monmouth County exterminator like Allison pest control can help you eliminate carpenter ant nests before they become a serious hazard.