Bees are tiny creatures that keep buzzing around the garden and parks. They play a crucial role in pollination, helping flowers and fruits grow. However, not all bees are the same. Two bee species we often confuse are bumble bees and carpenter bees. At first glance, they may look similar with their large, fuzzy bodies, but their habits and impacts are quite different. In this article, we will understand the differences between Bumble Bee and Carpenter Bee to identify them easily and deal with them safely.
Appearance
At first glance, carpenter bees and bumble bees might look similar. But if you look closely, you will notice some differences.
Carpenter Bees
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Abdomen: Carpenter Bees have a smooth, shiny black abdomen that looks almost hairless. Abdomen can be black, green, or purple.
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Growth: They grow about an inch long. They are mostly larger than Bumble bees.
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Thorax: The middle part of the body, called the thorax, is covered by short, fuzzy hair. Depending on the species, the thorax can be yellow, white, brown,black, or even blue in colour.
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Head and Wings: Carpenter bees have a large black head, and their wings look iridescent in sunlight.
Bumble Bees
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Abdomen: Bumble bees are fuzzy all over from their head to their tail. Their bodies are covered by dense hair and have yellow and black bands on the abdomen.
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Growth: Their size ranges from about ¾ inches to 1.5 inches.
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Thorax: They usually have a yellow band across the thorax.
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Head and Wings: They have black and yellow heads, and their wings are translucent.
Nests
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees like to make their homes in wood. The carpenter bee drills a small round hole and then turns 90 degrees inside the wood to make a tunnel. This tunnel becomes the place where she lays eggs.
Bumble Bees
Bumble bees usually make their nests close to the ground. They like quiet and protected spots such as compost heaps, piles of leaves or wood, or sometimes even old burrows left by small animals. These places give them warmth and safety to raise their young ones.
Colony
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter Bees are solitary insects,which means they live alone instead of forming large colonies. Each female builds her own small nest by drilling a small, round hole into wood and lays her eggs in several small cells.
Bumble Bees
Bumble bees are social by nature and prefer to live together in colonies that usually have between 50 and 400 bees. Each colony has one queen bee who lays the eggs. The rest of the bees go out to collect food and take care of the larvae.
Habits
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter Bees are often seen hovering around wooden places like decks, fences, eaves, or siding in the process of building a nest.
Bumble Bees
Bumble Bees spend most of their time visiting flowers to collect pollen and nectar. They help the flowers release pollen, which makes them great pollinators.
Behaviour
Carpenter Bees
Many carpenter bees often buzz around people's heads and seem aggressive, but they actually can't sting. Female carpenter bees can sting if their nest is disturbed.
Bumble Bees
Bumble bees are not aggressive by nature. They are generally calm and focus on collecting pollen and nectar. Bumble bees sting only when someone or something comes too close to their nest.
Diet
Carpenter Bees
They store nectar in a small pouch near their stomach, called a crop. Sometimes, they steal nectar by cutting the base of the flower instead of entering through the top, so the flower doesn't get pollinated.
Bumble Bees
Like carpenter bees, they also feed on nectar and pollen from fruit trees and garden flowers such as hibiscus, blueberry, and sunflowers. They help pollinate flowers while feeding.
Impacts After Sting
If you accidentally disturb a bumblebee nest and get stung, be careful of any allergic reactions. These reactions are rare, but you must be careful. Get medical help as soon as you notice symptoms like swelling around your mouth, tightness in your throat, trouble breathing, dizziness, fainting, vomiting, or a fast heartbeat.
How to Get Rid of Bees?
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Use a bee trap to catch the bees.
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Seal the nest entrance to prevent bees from returning.
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Call a pest expert if necessary. They can quickly and safely remove the bees for you.
How to Keep Bees Away From Your Home?
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Avoid planting flowers close to doors or entrances, as bees are attracted to nectar, so fewer flowers means fewer bees.
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Seal all the cracks and holes in wood with filler so that the carpenter bees can’t make space for the nest.
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Use natural repellents such as peppermint and vinegar to naturally keep the bees away from your home.
