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Carpenter Bee
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)

Common Name: Carpenter Bee

Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Apidae

Pest Status: Carpenter bees nest in a wide range of woods. They bore large tunnels into the wood in which they deposit their young. When they choose siding or soffits on homes, fences, utility poles, decks, or lawn furniture to bore into, they can create unsightly damage.

Appearance: Carpenter bees are large insects that resemble bumble bees. The upper surface of their abdomen is characteristically bare and shiny black, lacking the yellow hair that is so distinctive in bumble bees.

Life Cycle: Carpenter bees overwinter as adults in wood nests. They emerge in the spring and mate. Females excavate tunnels in wood and lay their eggs within a series of small cells.

Where to Collect: They are found foraging for pollen in flowers or near their nests.