Eastern Carpenter Bee Images

Eastern Carpenter Bee Images, Facts and Information:

Xylocopa virginica

• Eastern Carpenter Bees are large, robust bees with black bodies, yellow hairs on the thorax, and shiny, hairless abdomens. Females have entirely black faces, while males have a distinctive white or yellowish patch on their face.
• Eastern Carpenter Bees are found throughout the eastern United States, from Maine to Florida and west to Texas and North Dakota.
• Eastern Carpenter Bees inhabit forests, woodlands, and urban areas where they can find suitable wood for nesting. They are commonly found near wooden structures, fence posts, and dead tree limbs.
• Eastern Carpenter Bees feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, including rhododendron, passion flower, and blueberry. They are important pollinators for many plants.
• Female Eastern Carpenter Bees lay 6 to 8 eggs in separate chambers within their wood nests. The eggs hatch in about a week, and the larvae develop over several weeks before pupating.
• Eastern Carpenter Bees are often mistaken for bumblebees but can be distinguished by their shiny, hairless abdomens.
• A group of carpenter bees is called a “colony” or “nest” of carpenter bees.
• Eastern Carpenter Bees can live for about one year, with new adults emerging in late summer and overwintering before becoming active the following spring.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Eastern Carpenter Bee photos.