If you hear buzzing sounds outside, bees are probably coming to your house to enjoy the flowers and plants around it.
Most bees are carpenter bees or bumble bees, so it’s likely that your visitors are one or both of these species. Even though these bees look alike, they act very differently, and each type has its own problems that can be annoying to people who live in the area.
Learn about the differences between carpenter bees vs. bumble bees to know how to handle your buzzing guest.
Carpenter bees and bumble bees are two common bees found buzzing around homes and gardens. At first glance they appear similar. But when you look closer there are distinct differences between these two bees in terms of appearance, behavior, nesting habits, and more.
Understanding the key differences between carpenter bees and bumble bees will help you identify them, know how to handle them, and determine if they are helpful pollinators or problematic pests around your home
Appearance: How to Tell Carpenter Bees and Bumble Bees Apart
Carpenter bees and bumble bees vary in several physical characteristics:
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Abdomen: Carpenter bees have a smooth, shiny abdomen that is black, blue, green or purple. Bumble bee abdomens are hairy and covered in black and yellow bands.
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Size: Carpenter bees tend to be larger. They range from 3/4 to 1 inch long. Bumble bees are usually 0.6 to 1 inch in length.
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Head Carpenter bees have a solid black head that is much larger than a bumble bee’s head Bumble bees have a black and yellow striped head,
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Wings: The wings of carpenter bees shine iridescently in sunlight. Bumble bee wings are more transparent and delicate looking.
Once you know what to look for, it becomes easy to distinguish a carpenter bee from a bumble bee just by quick visual inspection. Examining the abdomen is usually the fastest way to tell them apart.
Behavioral Differences Between Species
Carpenter bees and bumble bees behave differently as well:
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Social Habits: Carpenter bees are solitary nesters. Bumble bees live in large colonies containing hundreds of worker bees.
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Defensiveness: Bumble bees are extremely defensive of their nest. Carpenter bees rarely sting unless handled.
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Temperature Tolerance: Bumble bees can fly in much cooler weather than carpenter bees. They emerge earlier in spring too.
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Pollination Habits: Some carpenter bees “steal” nectar by cutting small slits into flower bases rather than properly pollinating them.
Nesting Preferences
Carpenter bees create nests by tunneling into wood, hence their name. The holes are perfectly round. You may see little piles of wood shavings near entry holes, evidence of their wood excavating.
Bumble bees always nest underground in abandoned rodent burrows or other cavities. Nest entrances are often hidden and inconspicuous. Disturbing a nest will anger bumble bees quickly.
Diet and Feeding Behaviors
Both bees feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. Carpenter bees prefer open, cup-shaped blossoms like hibiscus, penstemon, and foxglove. Bumble bees are able to pry open the lips of closed flowers that carpenter bees can’t access.
Carpenter bees sometimes use their strong jaws to cut slits at the base of flower corollas. Then they access the nectar from the slit without entering the flower properly to pollinate it.
Beneficial Pollinators vs. Problematic Pests
Carpenter bees and bumble bees are both important native pollinators. As they gather and distribute pollen, they fertilize plants and enable fruit and seed production.
However, carpenter bees can cause damage as they excavate holes in wood. Over time, this can weaken wooden beams, siding, eaves, and other structural elements. Carpenter bee damage also creates entry points for moisture and other insects.
Bumble bees are not destructive. But they will aggressively defend their underground nests. Due to their small size and lack of a barbed stinger, bumble bee stings are less painful than those from honeybees or wasps.
Deterring Bees Around Your Home
To discourage bees around your property:
- Install bee traps
- Seal holes and cracks in wood
- Use natural repellents like vinegar, garlic, and mint oil
- Avoid planting lots of flowering plants bees favor
- Call a pest control professional for removal
Exclusion and pest control measures work better for carpenter bees since they nest in predictable areas each year. Removing underground bumble bee nests is more difficult and often unnecessary unless they are close to high-traffic areas.
Key Takeaways on Carpenter Bees vs. Bumble Bees
- Carpenter bees have hairless abdomens while bumble bees are furry
- Carpenter bees are solitary, bumble bees live in colonies
- Carpenter bees drill holes in wood to nest, bumble bees use underground burrows
- Both are pollinators but carpenter bees can damage wood structures
Now that you know the differences between these two common bee species, you can identify them in your yard, understand their behaviors, and take appropriate steps to exclude them if needed. With a little knowledge, you can appreciate the ecology bees provide while preventing any problems they may cause around your home.
Behavior Differences
Carpenter bees are less social than bumble bees and typically nest alone rather than in a colony.
The bumble bees that live in colonies have a queen, female workers, and male bees that are called drones. Bee queens are the only ones that can lay eggs, and worker bees are the only ones that can pollinate flowers and plants.
Bumble bees can also fly in cold weather, and you can often see them in early spring pollinating plants that bloom early.
Carpenter Bee vs. Bumble Bee Diet
Carpenter bees and bumble bees get their food from the nectar and pollen on flowers and fruit trees in the landscape. Some favorite sources are hibiscus, blueberry, and daffodil plants. Open-faced flowers like sunflowers are ideal. Carpenter bees and bumble bees get all the food they need from flowers that bloom in early spring to late fall. Some people think that carpenter bees eat wood, but they only chew through it to make places to nest.
Carpenter bees have the ability to store nectar in a pouch near the stomach known as a crop. They sometimes “steal” nectar from flowers by cutting into the base of the corolla and taking the nectar without pollinating the flower.
Bumblebees VS Carpenter Bees | What’s the Difference?
FAQ
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