Carpenter Bees

Behavior and Habitat

Carpenter bees rarely attack painted or varnished wood, while natural wood may be attractive. These bees often cause problems for structures by boring into the surface of the wood that is the back face of the trim under the eaves. A buzzing or drilling sound is heard when the bee is boring into the wood. If the hole is not visible, the bee is boring into the backside of the trim, and sawdust can be seen underneath that area. The hole created by the bee is about the size of a dime, and looks as if someone used a perfectly round drill bit to open the wood. Carpenter bees are solitary bees that build nests in structural wood, bamboo, and dead trees. Galleries are made by the female who chews into the wood and hollowing out a chamber. The female then deposits a mass of pollen and nectar in the chamber and lays an egg there. She then plugs the chamber with chewed wood pulp and continues excavating until she has laid six to eight eggs. Nest galleries are reused for generations.