Wood bees, also known as carpenter bees, often cause concern due to their presence and drilling activity around homes. Despite their size and intimidating hovering, these insects are generally not aggressive. Understanding their natural behaviors clarifies why they appear around human dwellings and pose little threat.
Identifying Wood Bees
Identifying a wood bee involves observing its physical characteristics and flight patterns. These bees are large, typically three-quarters to one inch long. A distinguishing feature is their shiny, hairless black abdomen, which contrasts with a fuzzy, often yellow, orange, or white, thorax. This differs from bumblebees, which have hairy abdomens with yellow and black bands.
Wood bees exhibit characteristic hovering flight, often in one spot for extended periods. They fly directly and steadily near wooden structures, often sites for their nests. Observing these cues and flight habits helps differentiate them from other large buzzing insects.
Understanding Their Temperament
Wood bees are generally not aggressive. Female wood bees possess a stinger and can sting, but they are docile and only do so if directly handled, provoked, or their nest is threatened. Unlike social bees such as honeybees, wood bees are solitary insects and do not defend a communal hive. This means there is no large colony for them to protect, reducing the likelihood of defensive stinging.
Male wood bees are territorial but do not have a stinger, making them harmless. Their seemingly aggressive hovering is a display to protect their territory and attract females. If a male wood bee flies close, it is likely investigating or asserting its territory.
Why Wood Bees Are Around Your Home
The presence of wood bees around homes is primarily linked to their nesting habits. Female wood bees bore into wood to create tunnels, known as galleries, where they lay eggs and raise young. This activity, which results in perfectly circular holes about half an inch in diameter, is a natural reproductive behavior, not aggression or wood consumption. They do not eat the wood; instead, they feed on pollen and nectar.
Wood bees prefer to tunnel into untreated, unpainted, or weathered softwood, such as cedar, redwood, cypress, pine, or fir. They often target areas like fascia boards, roof eaves, decks, railings, and wooden siding. While their tunneling can cause structural damage over time, especially if multiple generations reuse and expand tunnels, their presence indicates a search for suitable nesting sites.