Talk:Carpenter bee
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I was happy that what I thought were black bees had made themselves a home near the entrance of my own new home. I only found out the other day they may be significantly damaging my home. Now I think I'd better get rid of them but I am chemically sensative and need a solution that won't poison me (my house is unpainted because even paint makes me ill, at least, any paint I've ever come across in this country). Anyone knowledgeable about this?
- Note that this is intended to be a discussion about the article. Therefore, I am twisting your question into a request to add a section on 'preventing carpenter bee infestations' in the article. I will add what I know and hopefully it will be added to later. Kainaw 00:38, 30 July 2005 (UTC)
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[edit] They are my pets
They dug a few holes into my house about seven to ten years ago. I have found them to be more entertaining than destructive. All of their entrances are exposed to the open air and were made in the outermost wood on the house. No structural damage has been produced because the carpenter bees only gnaw holes into the outermost wood on the house. The damage that has occurred is essentially harmless. Three or four pieces of wood have holes in them. Carpenter bees are shy creatures. I treat them kindly, like carefree pets, by ignoring them. They were less visible in 2005, for some reason. TooPotato 19:40, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
- I will have to re-read the article, but I believe it states the benefits of carpenter bees and that some people attempt to attract them. If not, I will work it in. For me, the bees made a nest in my window frame and were starting to poke through into my bedroom. They can be loud too - I spent a long time wondering what the crunching noise in my window was. If they stayed on the outer trim of the house, it is fine. Coming into my bedroom is not. --Kainaw (talk) 20:15, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Could an expert comment?
From the article:
The bees appear to be equipped by nature with the ability to employ sunlight to generate the energy that permits them to keep awing for hours on end. Their abdomens contain a small amount of a liquid substance.
Many of the young are small and short-lived, persisting for only one summer. Females over-winter in the nest, called a hibernaculum. Males may overwinter in a burrow in the ground.
[edit] Species
Why isn't there a species list? Circeus 17:48, 22 May 2006 (UTC)
- Because there are over 350 species in 31 subgenera. That would be a ridiculously huge page. I'll update the taxbox to indicate this.
[edit] Defense
Do Carpenter Bees have any defense mechanisms that could be harmful to humans? Im glad everyone else sees them as freindly pets, I find them threatening, due to their size, bold colors and loud buzz. They often are not afraid to buzz very close to humans. So whats the verdict, can a carpenter bee sting or bite you? Also, I have heard myths that it depends on the bee gender, can you clear this up?
- If you go back to a version from June, it states that males cannot sting. Someone removed that. Why? If nobody can come up with a reason for removing it, I'll put it back in. --Kainaw (talk) 14:26, 16 November 2006 (UTC)
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- I suppose it was removed because it's common to all hymenoptera, since the stinger is a modified ovipositor. It is really not a remarkable characteristic of carpenter bees. Anyway, to answer the first question... yes they can sting, and more than once unlike honey bees, but they really aren't aggressive and you would have to seriously threaten them without any means of escaping to be stung. → SeeSchloß 11:02, 17 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Image of a tired bee
SgtVelocicaptor 17:04, 15 September 2007 (UTC)
This bee appears to be resting.
- But it is not a carpenter bee, it is a bumblebee. Dyanega 06:51, 16 September 2007 (UTC)
- I thought that bumblebees were rare. Thanks for the info.SgtVelocicaptor 16:38, 16 September 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Drilling mechanism
Can someone explain the mechanics of how they are able to drill into boards made of fairly hard woods like pine. I assume it's some sort of sharp cowl which vibrates acting over a fairly long period of time, but it seems like something of a tough feat. Would this be a good way to distinguish Carpenters from other sorts of bees or is it visually pretty minor? Thank you --Jolomo (talk) 04:01, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
- They open their jaws, press the tips into the wood, and buzz while scraping. They don't "drill" per se, and don't make their nests in very hard wood. A great many different kinds of bees make nests in wood and their jaws are not so very different from ordinary bees; the most common modification is extra "teeth" either along the edge, or on the back side of the mandible. Not the most visible of characteristics, but boring into soft wood is not really a difficult task when you're as small as an insect - there are tens of thousands of tiny beetles and other insects that have no problem tunneling into wood. Just take a plastic knife some time and try to cut a groove into some soft wood - you'll find that you can make good progress in very little time. Dyanega (talk) 16:51, 11 April 2008 (UTC)
