While they have a very strong preference for unpainted, weathered, soft wood, they sometimes do make their nests in painted or new wood if there aren’t better options nearby. Occasionally, the bumblebee queen will choose a spot underneath a shed, in a decaying log or tree stump, or even inside a bird nest or birdhouse for her colony’s home.Ĭarpenter bees, by contrast, make their nests in wood. Prime locations include underneath woodpiles, compost heaps, heavy brush, thick grass, or inside abandoned rodent holes and tunnels. Direct sun locations are avoided, as too much sun can overheat the nest. Most often, they choose a dry, somewhat shady spot that isn’t heavily trafficked. Instead, bumblebees prefer to nest underground, while carpenter bees, as the name suggests, make their nests in wood.īumblebees create a new nest each year. Unlike honeybees, however, you won’t find them hanging out in a hive, nor does either type create honeycombs or produce honey. Like other species of bees, bumblebees and carpenter bees build nests. RELATED: 12 Ways to Be a Good Neighbor to Your Backyard Wildlife They choose different nesting sites. Both insects have plenty of yellow fuzz on their thoraxes and fuzz on their heads as well, although bumblebees have fuzzier heads than carpenter bees. If you look closely, you’ll see that while bumblebees have fuzzy abdomens, usually with black and yellow stripes, carpenter bees have bare, shiny black abdomens. Where the easiest-to-spot difference appears is in the abdomen. Despite their taxonomic differences, the common species of bumblebees and carpenter bees found in North America are quite similar in appearance, leading to confusion as to which is which. Carpenter bees are members of the genus Xylocopa there are around 500 species in this group. Both are roughly one inch in length, and are typically black and yellow.īumblebees belong to the genus Bombus, which contains around 250 species. Like many other insects, they have two sets of small wings. Check out their fuzz.īoth bumblebees and carpenter bees are insects, and as such, have bodies divided into three parts (head, thorax, and abdomen), three sets of jointed legs, and a pair of antennae. Read on for a head-to-head comparison of the carpenter bee versus the bumblebee. While both are beneficial pollinators, one potentially is a destructive pest. Although you’re unlikely to ever witness a true battle between a carpenter bee and bumblebee, it’s helpful to know the differences between the two.
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