chriswalker31
Carpenter Bee
As I watched my grandmother swat and waive her arms around wildly, I simply looked at her and said "it's just a bumble bee." After saying that I realized that I really wasn't sure what kind of bee it was but after snapping a picture of it and searching various sites, I found out it was not a bumble bee at all, but a Carpenter Bee ( Xylocopa spp.). At a glance, these bees are almost and quite often highly mistaken for common bumble bees but their main distinguishable characteristics are 1) Where they live exactly and 2) Their markings/ coloration. The Carpenter Bee has almost identical markings as a bumble bee, however where the bumble bee has a hairy abdomen, the abdomen of the Carpenter Bee, as is visible in this picture up close, is shiny and relatively hairless (Jacobs). They construct their nests in wood (hence the name) rather than in the ground like bumble bees, which is most often unpainted and unpolished/ weathered. It is only the female that does this. The males act as sentries to ward off other insects and the females use the holes bored in the wood (usually about 1 inch deep) to lay their eggs. This is very possibly a defense against predators as the hole is so small, many larger creatures cannot enter and with the male acting as a sentry, it provides protection for the young and alots the female time and space to protect the dwelling. After 5-7 weeks, the pupates will emerge fully developed and proceed to find mates and tunnels of their own (Wilton). Ecologically, this can cause some structural damage to trees, fences or any solid wood construct or object. Initially this is of little concern but as the female bores deeper and deeper, the tunneling and holes can cause almost termite-like complications, depending on the structure and number of females present (insectidentifaction.org). As is the case with almost all bees, they serve great importance by traveling between nests and flowers to feed, though they do not produce honey, while at the same time pollinating the plants around us. What you are seeing in the picture is possibly a location or future location of a home for this bee and his mate and he is guarding the area. Not to fear, however, because as long as it is a male one can feel fairly safe as the males have no stinger. The females, on the other hand, can sting if provoked hard enough. Many of those who own or tend garden often try to control rather than exterminate the number of Carpenter Bees around their field as they do not want any structural damage to occur from too many females, but also use them to benefit their vegetable gardens, specifically eggplant, tomato and various others as they are excellent pollinators (Buchman).
Sources:
ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/carpenter-bees
www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-m...
sites.google.com/a/wiltonhs.com/carpenter-bee/life-cycle
www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?ident...
Carpenter Bee
As I watched my grandmother swat and waive her arms around wildly, I simply looked at her and said "it's just a bumble bee." After saying that I realized that I really wasn't sure what kind of bee it was but after snapping a picture of it and searching various sites, I found out it was not a bumble bee at all, but a Carpenter Bee ( Xylocopa spp.). At a glance, these bees are almost and quite often highly mistaken for common bumble bees but their main distinguishable characteristics are 1) Where they live exactly and 2) Their markings/ coloration. The Carpenter Bee has almost identical markings as a bumble bee, however where the bumble bee has a hairy abdomen, the abdomen of the Carpenter Bee, as is visible in this picture up close, is shiny and relatively hairless (Jacobs). They construct their nests in wood (hence the name) rather than in the ground like bumble bees, which is most often unpainted and unpolished/ weathered. It is only the female that does this. The males act as sentries to ward off other insects and the females use the holes bored in the wood (usually about 1 inch deep) to lay their eggs. This is very possibly a defense against predators as the hole is so small, many larger creatures cannot enter and with the male acting as a sentry, it provides protection for the young and alots the female time and space to protect the dwelling. After 5-7 weeks, the pupates will emerge fully developed and proceed to find mates and tunnels of their own (Wilton). Ecologically, this can cause some structural damage to trees, fences or any solid wood construct or object. Initially this is of little concern but as the female bores deeper and deeper, the tunneling and holes can cause almost termite-like complications, depending on the structure and number of females present (insectidentifaction.org). As is the case with almost all bees, they serve great importance by traveling between nests and flowers to feed, though they do not produce honey, while at the same time pollinating the plants around us. What you are seeing in the picture is possibly a location or future location of a home for this bee and his mate and he is guarding the area. Not to fear, however, because as long as it is a male one can feel fairly safe as the males have no stinger. The females, on the other hand, can sting if provoked hard enough. Many of those who own or tend garden often try to control rather than exterminate the number of Carpenter Bees around their field as they do not want any structural damage to occur from too many females, but also use them to benefit their vegetable gardens, specifically eggplant, tomato and various others as they are excellent pollinators (Buchman).
Sources:
ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/carpenter-bees
www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-m...
sites.google.com/a/wiltonhs.com/carpenter-bee/life-cycle
www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?ident...