Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Anthophoridae

Carpenter Bees are thus named because they bore holes into wood to make galleries for laying eggs.

Description: Carpenter Bees are approximately 1/2-1 inch long. They resemble Bumble Bees, but the top part of Carpenter Bee's abdomen is black and shiny instead of fuzzy. Although there are seven different species in North America, the X. virginica (Linnaeus) is the common species prevalent in the Eastern United States. The female's face is black and the male's face is yellow.

Biology: Carpenter Bees are solitary insects-meaning that they do not live in nests or colonies. In the spring, over-wintering survivors emerge from their gallery tunnels and mate. The female will reuse an old gallery or bore a new one to lay her egg. She then will seal that portion of the gallery off and make a new chamber or cell for each egg she lays. Development time from egg to adult is about 36 days.

Habits: The female will bore a perfectly circular hole, the same diameter of her body, in a variety of different woods. Carpenter Bees prefer weathered or unpainted wood in which to construct their galleries. Although very territorial and aggressive when humans approach their nesting site, the male Carpenter Bee does not have a stinger to defend himself. However, the female Carpenter Bee does have a potent stinger. Caution should be used when approaching an area where Carpenter Bees are found.