Carpenter bees are a large species that excavate wood, potentially damaging homes. California carpenter bees can range from 1.5 to 2 inches in length, and are most active in warmer climates.
Lynn Kimsey, a retired professor of entomology at the University of California–Davis, told The Epoch Times carpenter bees like to burrow in dead or soft wood. Females excavate about 6 to 12 inches to nest.
“They build their nests in dead wood. So they make tunnels, and then they make little side tunnels that they then provision with a mixture of bone and nectar, and then lay their eggs in there. And so every female will have a nest of her own that has anywhere from two to 10 little chambers for babies,” said Kimsey.
Carpenter bees reuse other bees’ nests, generation after generation. Females clean out the residue from the previous generation and burrow inside, following the wood grain. Over several years, nests can extend several feet.
Females are solitary, not social, so one per nest. They are usually black and shiny, and they sting.
Males, on the other hand, do not sting, which makes them more vulnerable to predators such as birds. They mainly hover over flowers to pollinate and find a mate, and do not stay in the nest. However, they are more territorial. They usually have a bright yellow or orange patch of fur on their backs.
“If there’s a big shiny black bee in your yard, don’t panic,” said Kimsey. “Females can sting, but you practically have to take it in your hand and squeeze to get it to sting you, so they’re not aggressive at all.”
To prevent carpenter bees from burrowing into the wood of your patio, balcony, or other structure, Kimsey recommends putting a wire mesh around soft wood, using sealants, or filling the galleries with caulk if there are already cavities.
“[It’s] damage in slow motion, and it’s very restricted to specific places. So it’s not really something people need to worry about,” said Kimsey, adding that significant damage would take years.
According to the Museum of Entomology at UC Davis, carpenter bees can be found nesting in fence posts or under a deck or porch rail. While real damage could take a long time, the holes they leave behind make the wood susceptible to fungi or carpenter ants. Carpenter bee specialists recommend painting wood surfaces with oil-based paint or polyurethane. If possible, remove or replace the damaged wood.
In the wild, carpenter bees are natural wood recyclers, helping to break down a dead branch or tree faster.
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