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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing carpenter bees. To be clear, we're specifically talking about large carpenter bees whose genus name means something like "wood cutter." They are also small carpenter bees, but they won't appear in this episode. Large carpenter bees get the moniker "large" because they're some of the biggest bees around. Reaching more than an inch (2.5 cm) long at their greatest size, carpenter bees are easily noticeable.

Often these arthropods are confused with bumblebees though the two types have some distinct differences. The most obvious difference is that carpenter bees have a relatively hairless, shiny abdomen while bumblebees are fuzzy. Male carpenter bees, which are smaller than females, sometimes sport more color and fuzz than the ladies, so further examination of their eyes can help tell them apart from bumbles. Bumblebees have space between their eyes and their mandibles but carpenter bees do not. Not that I imagine you want to get close enough to a bee to gaze into its eyes. Thankfully carpenter bees are relatively harmless.

Although female carpenter bees have the capacity to sting, they rarely do so. These arthropods are considered non-aggressive and really only bother you if you bother them. Male carpenter bees are unable to sting, and they're the individuals you're most likely to come across. The boys patrol around outside of nests looking for other males to boss around. If you've seen carpenter bees slamming into each other, it was probably males in a wrestling match. Of course, when they mate, males and females join together and often rise up high into the sky. 

There are hundreds of carpenter bee species around the world. They're most active from spring to fall, though they also overwinter. Most species nest in wood, thus bringing about their common name, however, it's worth noting that in such a large group, diversity exists, and some carpenter bees species actually nest in the ground. Still, a majority of them bore holes into wood. They prefer deadwood, though not decaying wood. Sometimes these bees achieve a "pest" status because they carve out nests in human structures like side panels to homes. Supposedly, the vibrations from wind chimes can help drive carpenter bees away. When they dig a nest, they bore in about the length of their body and make a 90 degree turn to match the grain of the wood. Inside, the female carves out separate rooms, called galleries, into which she'll lay a single large egg.

Carpenter bee eggs can be more than half an inch (1.3 cm) long! The female provides the eggs with nectar and pollen packets so the larvae have something to eat the moment they hatch. Yes, carpenter bees don't actually eat wood! Females may chew it up and use it to make walls between the galleries in her nest, but everything else is just shoved outside. This sometimes accumulates like little sawdust shavings right under their nest. The babies hatch and remain in the nest until fall at which point they may leave but otherwise they snuggle up with their siblings and their mom and hibernate until the following spring. 

Technically, carpenter bees are considered solitary bees, they don't form colonies like honeybees. However, it's worth noting that observations suggest that these insects do help each other out a bit. The young that develop first sometimes help feed their still-developing siblings. This is considered a primitive form of social behavior.

Carpenter bees are pollinators so they're beneficial to have around. They do, however, also rob nectar from flowers they otherwise can not fit inside. Nectar robbing is when an animal punctures a hole at the base of the flower and removes the nectar without rubbing against the flower's reproductive parts, thus meaning it is not pollinated. Still, carpenter bees are generalists and utilize a wide variety of flower species. In fact, they can be wonderful to have around in vegetable gardens!!

If they can avoid predators like birds and other arthropods, carpenter bees can live up to three years!

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