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Xylocopa spp.

Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa spp.

Do not provoke them and you will not have a problem. The male carpenter bee does not have a stinger while the female does, but will not attack unless provoked. Carpenter bee nests are easy to spot because they nest in wood, and each nest has only a single entrance. They are known to build nests in structures or weathered wood.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
Carpenter Bee
  • Look for their nests in wood, or in cracks and openings to your home.
  • Be aware of their hovering, aggressive behavior towards you, or congregation around sticky or sweet spills.
  • Look for holes in wood, as carpenter bees bore holes in wood to lay eggs.
Class: Order: Family:
Insecta Hymenoptera Anthophoridae
Size: Carpenter bee adults are about 1/2 to 1in (12.5-25 mm) long, robust.
Color: California carpenter bee (mountains in CA/OR) is mostly metallic green/blue with grayish wings. Female valley carpenter bee (valleys, lower foothills of CA/AZ) is shiny black with bright metallic purple/bronze shine, smoky colored wings; male is golden brown or buff. Mountain carpenter bee (foothills/mountains of CA/AZ/NV/OR) is black; male's head has yellow, white, black hairs.
Characteristics: They are similar to bumble bees, except top of abdomen is quite bare and shiny.
Geographic Range: Carpenter bees are found around the world, with 7 species in the United States.
Food: Pollen, nectar
Biology: After mating, the female carpenter bee bores a hole straight into wood, then turns and follows the grain of the wood, in order to make a gallery in which to lay eggs. She may use an old gallery from a previous year, or extend an old gallery. Beginning at the closed end, she lays an egg onto a mass of pollen and partly digested nectar, then seals it with chewed wood-pulp. She continues to do this once a day for 5-6 days. Mating is in the spring after individuals have overwintered in old tunnels. The survivors feed on nectar. Development from egg to adult takes 1-3 months.
Xylocopa spp.

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