Common Name

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Scientific Name

Xylocopa virginica

One of the most recognizable bees in the Southeast. The Carpenter Bee is large and has a glossy, mostly black body with a slight metallic purple tint. The thorax has pale yellow hairs with a shiny black spot in the center. The males also have a white spot on their face. They are named after their nesting behavior in which they drill through soft wood and use the shavings to create chambers.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Xylocopa
Species: Xylocopa virginica

Habitat

Forest, Urban

Distribution

Found throughout much of North America east of the Rocky Mountains and at least as far north as Nebraska, southern Ontario, and Maine.

Abundance

Abundant

Activity Time

Diurnal

Diet

Adults take nectar from many flowers, often biting into base of flower to "rob" it without pollinating

Behavior

The Carpenter Bee is not a solitary bee species, but it is not truly social either. They have a weak form of sociality, with one female doing the majority of the work and caring for her sisters. Nests (galleries) are built in dry, standing wood. The nests are built by scraping wood shavings off of the wall. These shavings are then used to create partitions between nesting cells.

Ecological Role

These bees visit many plants and pollinate wild plants and our gardens.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Threats & Impacts

Notes

Many people see Carpenter Bees as pests given their use of wooden structures for nesting. These bees tend to prefer untreated wood. One potential deterrence is to use pressure treated wood and paint or stain the wood. This is not full proof but may help. Another option is to leave a pile of dead wood logs or wood blocks in an inconspicuous area of the property that they will be more interested in. Finally, Carpenter bees will avoid nesting in the same area as wasps. Try placing a fake wasp nest in the area of concern.