A carpenter bee infestation is often first detected by finding large amounts of sawdust on the ground below the area being drilled.

Carpenter Bee Facts

• Carpenter bees are so named because they excavate galleries in wood to create nest sites.

• They do not consume wood. Rather, they feed on pollen and nectar.

• Carpenter bees are important pollinators of flowers and trees. Carpenter bees typically are just nuisance pests that cause cosmetic rather than structural damage to wood.

• Nonetheless, considerable wood damage can result from many generations of carpenter bees enlarging existing galleries in wood.

• Carpenter bees somewhat resemble bumble bees, except bumble bees have dense yellow hairs on the abdomen and large pollen baskets on the hind legs. Various species of bumble bees and carpenter bees are similar in size.

• Bumble bees typically nest in the ground whereas carpenter bees nest in wood.

• Carpenter Bees are natures pruners by infesting dead tree limbs over time the tree limb falls to the ground.