Have you seen bees around your house that aren’t the typical bumblebee color scheme? Instead, they’re almost entirely black. These are carpenter bees, and like carpenter ants, they may be up to no good around your house. Let’s learn a little more about them and how you can avoid any problems.
Have you spotted a black insect buzzing around your yard that resembles a bee? Many harmless bugs mimic the appearance and behavior of bees, often as a defensive strategy Learning to identify these black bee-like insects can help you discern harmless lookalikes from actual bees that can sting
Here are some of the most common black bugs mistaken for bees
Black Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are large, robust bees that drill holes into wood to make their nests. Some species have black abdomens with lighter yellow or white markings on the thorax. They resemble bumblebees in size and shape.
[Image: Black carpenter bee on flower]
You can identify the big black bees by the shiny hairless abdomen, dense yellow hairs on the thorax, and large size, 15-20 mm long. Male carpenter bees are very territorial and will hover aggressively around the nest site.
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
The common eastern bumble bee has a primarily black head and body with just a yellow band on the thorax. The tip of the abdomen may have some reddish hairs.
[Image: Common eastern bumble bee]
These furry black bees have a very round head and stout fuzzy body with thick black and yellow banding. They make nests in cavities in the ground, abandoned rodent burrows, and hollow logs. Bumble bees live in small colonies with a queen.
Black and Gold Bumble Bee
As the name suggests, the black and gold bumble bee has primarily black furry hair interspersed with bright golden hairs on the thorax and top of the abdomen.
[Image: Black and gold bumble bee]
The bee’s head, legs and bottom abdomen are all black. Look for the dense hair, stout oval body, and buzzing flight to identify the black and gold bumble bees visiting flowers. The queens are quite large, up to 2 cm long.
European Wool Carder Bee
The European wool carder bee gets its common name from the large pads of bristly hairs on the abdomen used by the females to line their nests.
[Image: European wool carder bee]
The bee is almost entirely black except for small patches of yellow on the last few abdominal segments. The thorax is very furry black, and the wings are dark brown. The males are very territorial, defending flowering plants.
Yellowjacket Wasp
Yellowjacket wasps are social wasps with black and yellow banding that mimic bees. They have a black head and black antennae and may be mistaken for black bees from a distance.
[Image: Yellowjacket wasp]
However, up close they lack the dense furry hair of bees and have glossy black bodies with crisp black and yellow banding. Yellowjackets have lance-like stingers at the tip of the abdomen. They can sting repeatedly in defense of the nest.
Bald-Faced Hornet
Bald-faced hornets are large stinging wasps with black and white markings that may be confused with bees. They have a black head, black and white striped abdomen, black wings and black legs.
[Image: Bald-faced hornet]
The thorax can be silvery-gray to black. Look for the classic papery football-shaped nests in trees and under eaves to recognize these stinging insects. Bald-faced hornets defend nests aggressively and have a painful sting.
Orchard Mason Bee
Male orchard mason bees are almost solid black except for a small patch of white hairs on the face. The darker females have additional white abdominal hair tufts used to line nests.
[Image: Orchard mason bee male]
These black bees are solitary, nesting in holes in wood and hollow stems. They are excellent pollinators for fruit trees and will readily occupy nest boxes. Mason bees do not have a stinger and are docile.
Black Digger Bee
There are several species of robust, hairy digger bees that are black with minimal light-colored markings on the face or legs. They create solitary nests by burrowing into the ground.
[Image: Black digger bee]
Look for the dense black hairs, stout fuzzy body, two pairs of wings with dark veins, and swift buzzing flight typical of bees. Black digger bees are docile but the females can sting in defense of the nest burrow.
Cuckoo Bee
Cuckoo bees are kleptoparasitic, laying their eggs in the nests of other bees. Many species are black with whitish or yellowish hairs interspersed throughout the furry body.
[Image: Cuckoo bee]
They may be mistaken for small black bumble bees as they visit flowers. However, cuckoo bees do not construct their own nests. Identify them by the dense black furry thorax and striped black and pale yellow abdomen.
There are many black bee mimics out there! Learning some basic bee anatomy and behavior helps identify bees from lookalike insects. If needed, having a beekeeper relocate docile bees is better than exterminating these important pollinators.
Damage Caused by Carpenter Bees
While not as invasive as carpenter ants or termites, carpenter bees do cause damage to wood structures. They don’t eat the wood; they bore into it. Black bees prefer old, unfinished wood, but they will bore into painted wood if the paint is chipping.
One of these solitary bees boring into your rafters wouldn’t be an issue. But often, the young females return to where they were born and create more tunnels for their eggs. Given enough time and cycles of birth, your home could certainly be at risk.
Types of Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are common in Arizona; in fact, we have many species in the Grand Canyon State. The ones you’re most likely to encounter are the mountain carpenter bee and valley carpenter bee.
All types of carpenter bees look similar. They are mostly black with parts that look polished or metallic. If you look closely, you can see a bit of yellow behind the bee’s neck. But from far away, they look like they are solid black. The black bees are also larger than typical bumblebees. They can range from 8 mm to 25 mm in length, so their size should give them away.
Stung by a GIANT Black Bee!
FAQ
What is the bug that looks like a bee but black?
Are black carpenter bees harmful?
Do black carpenter bees sting or bite?
Should I get rid of carpenter bees?
What bugs look like bees?
Wasps are the most obvious bee mimics because of their black and yellow striped bodies and ability to cause a painful sting. However, some black and yellow flies, moths, beetles, and ants look remarkably like bees. Apart from wasps and hornets, many of the bugs that look like bees are relatively harmless.
Are black bees a carpenter bee?
Black bees are two types of carpenter bees. The large carpenter bee (Xylocopa) is a big black bee with a shiny body, six legs, and two pairs of wings. The small carpenter bee (Ceratina) also has characteristics of carpenter bees, but they have a slender greenish-black metallic body.
What insects look like bumble bees?
Black bee: Another bee lookalike, the black bee imitates the appearance of bumble bees but lacks the characteristic yellow stripes. Bee-flies (Bombyliidae): These insects resemble bees but belong to the fly family. They have large eyes and only one set of wings, while bees have smaller eyes and two sets of wings.
What does a black bee look like?
Some species of black bees have yellow markings on their thorax, and other small black bees have greenish iridescent shimmering bodies. Left: Western carpenter bee (Xylocopa californica).
Do black flying bugs resemble bees?
When observing insects in your garden, you may come across large black flying bugs that resemble bees at first glance. These insects, though, often have unique characteristics that distinguish them from actual bees, making it important to recognize these differences for a better understanding of their behavior and ecological roles.
What does a black carpenter bee look like?
Black carpenter bees look like bumblebees, only without the characteristic yellow bands. It’s easy to spot black carpenter bees due to their shiny, hairless abdomen. Some species of black bees have yellow markings on their thorax, and other small black bees have greenish iridescent shimmering bodies.