Carpenter Bee Construction

Carpenter bees build their nests in soft pieces of wood so avoid untreated lumber.

Carpenter bee construction. Carpenter bee nests are actually a series of small cells with walls made of chewed wood pulp in between. Some are better than others but most are based on the same principles. The carpenter bee along with some 25 000 other named species of bees in the world belongs to an order called hymenoptera which also includes wasps hornets and ants. Females overwinter as adults in partially or completely excavated stems and in the spring the female bee further excavates and creates a brood nest much the same as large bees.

Appealing to carpenter bees half inch holes are drilled into a wood box at an upward angle that prevents direct sunlight from shining in. The bee will then make a right turn and extend the tunnel another 4 to 6 inches in the direction of the wood grain. The first inch or two of the tunnel is usually made against the wood grain. Head to a hardware store or repurpose any wood scraps you have laying around.

The small bees also provision their brood cells with pollen and nectar. Pine and cedar are a couple of options for an inexpensive but effective trap. There are plenty of designs found online for building your own carpenter bee trap. A carpenter bee makes an entrance hole slightly bigger than her body or just about inch in diameter.

A female often creates six to 10 cells in a row along the main tunnel. Carpenter bee construction llc construction services. Small carpenter bees or ceratina generally excavate twigs and stems to build their nests. Navarre fl 32566 2807 850 206 4060.

Several carpenter bee species of the seven in the united states occur in the southwest. With her work complete the female will die.