Carpenter bees are large flying insects that can be found all around the world. These can also be quite destructive to your property, which is why you never want to allow a carpenter bee nest to hang around for long. While these bees may look a lot like bumble bees, they are very different in terms of how they nest as well as how destructive they can be.
Here are some facts about the carpenter bee:
- Over 500 species
- Nests are built in wood, bamboo and other structural timber
- Wood bits are used inside the nest
- Bees will bore holes in wood for nesting purposes
- 5 species are found in the United States
- Male carpenter bees are harmless and hover around nest
- Female carpenter bees can sting but only do so when provoked
Carpenter bees are going to nest by tunneling into wood. They do this by vibrating their bodies and their mandibles press against the wood. There may be a number of tunnels within the wood although there is only a single entrance. Since the tunnels are hollow, it can lead to instability within any structure. The tunnels will house the eggs and act as a nursery for all of the breeds of new carpenter bees that will soon be buzzing about.
The species of carpenter bees that are found throughout the United States all follow the same reproductive habits. One generation is created a year and the eggs are usually laid in the spring. Throughout the summer, the pupa is being developed and by the end of the summer, the adult bees are out.
Over the winter, the hibernation will take place and in the spring, the cycle will start all over again. Since these bees can be so destructive, the goal is to prevent them from reproducing and creating more tunnels within any wood that is on premises.