The initial pain was searingly hot, but quickly subsided and seemed less painful than other bee stings I have had. The sonoran carpenter is said to be shy, not likely to sting, though I myself was stung when I was moving around some cut logs and discovered them. They seem to love the purple flowers in my yard, especially the lilikoi, of which they are important pollinators. The females are black and have stingers the males are golden and are stingerless. In the picture I took below, you might be able to see the the female and male in the tunnels on opposite sides of each other. ![]() I have seen females as well as males snuggled into separate tunnels on the same log. They are said to be solitary bees, though the ones that live in my backyard share the same log. The larvae hatch and spend some time maturing before venturing out on their own. Some of this sawdust is used to enclose the eggs which they have laid on a pollen ball in the back of the tunnel. They don't actually eat the wood, but make a fair amount of sawdust in the process of excavating their tunnels. The name comes from the Greek for wood cutter, and there you have it: they nest and rear their offspring in wood structures, or old logs, like the ones in my backyard do. This is none other than the sonoran carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina. Are you worried you may be dealing with carpenter bees in your property? Contact us for more information on our bees and beehive removal and preventive pest control services in Houston, today.When you first see this bee, you might think black bumblebee, but nope, it's not even in the same genus. Black Carpenter Bees Pest Control in HoustonĮnviroCon provides pest removal as well as preventive pest control services in Houston for all carpenter bees. They typically become inactive during winter months. Males may continue to be obvious throughout the summer due to their tendency to chase flying insects, animals, and people away from their nests, but otherwise their behavior is mostly limited to pollination. April and May are particularly noticeable times, as that is when new adult bees move out of their brood cells and begin to establish their own nests. Younger bees prefer to move into existing nests to save themselves the work of excavating new tunnels, but the older bees’ long lifespan often prevents that.īlack carpenter bees tend to be most active during the spring and summer months. Unlike more social bees, such as the bumblebee, black carpenter bees have fairly small broods. When Are Black Carpenter Bees Active?Ĭarpenter bees have fairly long lives, often living around three years. This includes most of Texas, including Houston and the surrounding areas. A single black carpenter bee’s nest can be six to ten inches long, so they often cause expensive cosmetic damage to decks, wooden siding, and more.īlack carpenter bees have a wide range, but they are particularly prevalent in southern and southwestern states. They like to dig tunnels in wood, particularly weathered and exposed wood. Where Do Black Carpenter Bees Live?Ĭarpenter bees get their name from their preferred nesting area. ![]() This leads to growing infestations as more generations build nests in the same area. Females often live in small groups, and carpenter bees also tend to like to nest near others. However, this does not mean that they live totally alone. Like bumblebees, carpenter bees help pollinate plants, particularly flowers and vegetables.Ĭarpenter bees are considered solitary bees, which means they tend to live in small nests without a strict social structure or division of labor. ![]() They also have a bare and shiny abdomen instead of a fuzzy one. They look fairly similar to bumblebees and are often mistaken for them, but black carpenter bees are almost entirely black. What Are Black Carpenter Bees?īlack carpenter bees are one of the largest species of bees in the United States, and are often found within the Greater Houston area. One species of bee, the carpenter bee, may be causing significant damage to your home before you even notice a problem. When you think of pests that live in wood, you probably think of termites, but there are many others.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |