Are Wood Bees And Carpenter Bees The Same Thing

Find out how to identify and get rid of carpenter bees plus learn how wood boring bees cause damage and if they are dangerous to people.

Are wood bees and carpenter bees the same thing. If your bees are bumble bees that nest should just be getting going about now and the number of bees will increase all summer. It could be that you were seeing the same pair or two or three of carpenter bees. These are usually in the eaves of homes as well as in decks siding fascia boards or porches. Carpenter bees range in size from about 5 8 of an inch to 1 inch and look very similar to bumblebees but they re not the same.

There are two genera of carpenter wood bees called xylocopa and ceratina. If it helps carpenter bees go for old wood unpainted or unstained wood. In the americas asia australia europe and elsewhere. The cool thing is that there are many different colored carpenter bees around the world as well.

For example in asia there is a beautiful blue carpenter bee. The xylocopa carpenter bees are large while the ceratina carpenter bees are small. Oh goodness we had a horrible time with carpenter bees last year with the deck and the mailbox. You said you were seeing lots of bees.

Don t be confused though they will burrow into treated wood. Between to in diameter around their abdomen. While the pests do not eat wood they excavate tunnels to use as nests. The more commonly encountered carpenter bee is from the genera xylocopa.

Carpenter bees can be found around the world. Unfinished or weathered wood attracts the robust black and yellow carpenter bee. Carpenter bees genus xylocopa are solitary bees that burrow into wood. Bumblebees genus bombus nest in the ground usually in abandoned rodent nests and live in social communities.

Carpenter bees also known as wood bees because of their diet and choice of habitat are large black bees that look very similar to bumble bees. Physically the mason bee is much smaller than the carpenter bee. Carpenter bees are important for your local ecosystem but in some situations they can cause the destruction of decks furniture and even homes.