"I'm a carpenter bee and I dig a tunnel in wood that becomes a nest for my brood..."
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees get
their name because they usually excavate tunnels in wood to build their nests
in. Some carpenter bees and bumblebee queens are the largest native
bees in the United States. They don't eat the wood they carve, but they can
cause damage to structures that are dry, weathered, and in need of replacement.
Carpenter Bee Habitat
Carpenter bees are not social insects like honey or bumblebees,
which is why they don't live in hives and create individual nests in trees,
eaves, or sides of structures. They overwinter in old nest tunnels and in the
spring they emerge to mate. While the mated female chooses a suitable piece of
wood for her nest, the male spends most of his time protecting the nest site by
hovering and chasing intruders away. The female makes a tunnel using her
mandibles and then furnishes her nest with a mixture of nectar and pollen
called "bee bread." She lays an egg and then chews the wood into a pulp to plug
the nest cell with.
Carpenter Bee
Behaviors
Male carpenter bees don't have stingers but act threatening while protecting a nest. Female carpenter bees usually won't sting because they'll die and won't be able to take care of their eggs. If someone is allergic to bee venom and is stung by a carpenter bee, they should seek medical attention immediately.
