Why Do Carpenter Bees Bore Holes In Wood

Carpenter bees prefer to excavate their nests in soft unpainted wood such as the back side of fascia boards siding window trim and porch ceilings. While wood boring carpenter bee damage is usually minor it should still be repaired as soon as possible to prevent water infiltration and rot. The male bees then guard the nest often harassing people in the process.

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Why do carpenter bees bore holes in wood. Carpenter bees are large fuzzy bees that bore holes in unfinished wood to nest and lay eggs. Basically they use them to cut and tear through wood they target for nest making. They are particularly inclined to build their galleries in soft unpainted and worn wood although some species may prefer hardwood. Female carpenter bees chew circular holes through wood to make individual galleries to lay eggs and protect their larvae as they develop.

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. Finishing the wood with a stain or paint and filling in any cracks and holes with wood putty will make the wood less attractive to the bees. Wood boring carpenter bees resemble bumble bees but these large bees excavate tunnels in wood to make a nest whereas bumble bees nest in soil. They re aptly named for their nesting behavior of burrowing into dead wood to establish tunnels in order to lay eggs.

Carpenter bees tend to return to the same nesting sites and they are most attracted to unfinished wood. Carpenter or borer bees are in the genus xylocopa of the apidae family with hundreds of species in several subgenera found around the world. They also bore into decks outdoor furniture fence posts and swing sets. The sudden appearance of carpenter bees crawling out of wood often frightens people.

And once they find wood they want to nest in they ll use their mandibles to tear away in circular patterns that ultimately will fit their bodies perfectly. Carpenter bees don t have teeth. This nest building can damage wood trim doors and so forth. But what they do have are mandibles and they use their mandibles like teeth.

These bees have a habit of drilling holes into the wood and building galleries to breed and rear their young ones. A carpenter bee makes an entrance hole slightly bigger than her body or just about inch in diameter. The first inch or two of the tunnel is usually made against the wood grain. Finish the wood that the bees are burrowing 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. However carpenter bees rarely sting because the males have no stingers and the females are docile. While fairly harmless carpenter bees increase the number of nests over the course of years causing noticeable damage to wood. Females can sting but will only do so if bothered.