Carpenter Bee

 Carpenter bees are large hairy black and yellow bees that are often mistaken or confused with bumble bees. Carpenter bees are not aggressive towards people and are very rare to sting (generally only when people grab or step on them do they sting).

Carpenter bees are most often seen in the spring time "patrolling" the area around their nest. Carpenter bees are very territorial and their worst fear is that some carnivorous insect (like wasp, yellow jackets, or hornets) are going to enter their nest and steal away their young. That's why people see them hovering around a given area and darting after any flying/moving object. While they do dart after people (actually they go after any movement they see) humans are not considered a threat. As soon as the carpenter bee realizes that it is a human they quickly move away.

Carpenter bees get their name from the type of nest that they build. Their nest are constructed inside dead wood. Carpenter bees will bore holes into dead dry wood that looks like it was drilled with a precision drill bit. The holes are approximately 3/8 of an inch in diameter and can go 3 to 6 inches into the wood. It's the carpenter bee's nesting habit that people do not like. Our homes, porches, decks, and out buildings all make a perfect nesting place for carpenter bees.

There are several things that you the home owner can do to prevent these pest from turning your porch or deck into a carpenter bee condo!