|
|
Questions?
Enter keywords in search box below:
|
|
|
Bumble Bee vs. Carpenter Bee
- Large, colorful pollinators
-
|
Summary:
Both bees are large and colorful. Bumble bees nest
in small colonies often in the ground while
carpenter bees are solitary and build their nests in
wood, sometimes causing minor damage. Carpenter bees
are also called wood-boring bees.
Jack
DeAngelis, PhD
OSU
Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
|
|
|
What are bumble bees?
Bumble bees
(right) are large (3/4"+), hairy, often colorful
bees. They can be easily confused with carpenter
bees but the best way to tell these bees apart
is to look at the top of the abdomen. Bumble bees
have a colorful, hairy abdomen while in carpenter
bees the top surface of the abdomen is bare and
shiny (see What Do
Carpenter Bees Look Like?).
Bumble bees live in
small, social colonies, often in the ground, where
work is divided among colony members. Like other
hymenoptera (wasps, bees and ants), bumble bees are
able to sting intruders in defense of their nest.
Bumble bees feed on pollen and plant nectar much
like honey bees do and as such are good pollinators.
See this
excellent British Museum of Natural History
site for photos, maps and distribution lists for
bumble bees.
other spelling:
bumblebee
|
|
|
bumble bee
on goldenrod; photo by David Cappaert,
www.forestryimages.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bumble bees are normally
very docile and don't sting unless the nest is
disturbed. On occasion, however, gardeners will
encounter an agitated colony. At these times simply
leaving the area is usually enough to avoid stings. It
is almost never necessary to remove or destroy a
bumble bee colony.
Since bumble bees compete
with honey bees for plant nectar and pollen, when
honey bee numbers decline, such as during an outbreak
of bee parasites, bumble bee numbers often increase.
Bumble bees are beneficial and should be encouraged by
gardeners where ever they occur.
Bumble bees do not nest
in wood like carpenter bees and therefore don't draw
the ire of homeowners the way that wood-boring
carpenter bees can.
|
|
|
|
'Bugs Needs Your Support!
If our information is useful
help us
maintain and grow 'Bugs. Visit our Support
Page or shop at
Amazon, one of our favorite affiliates. Amazon
is not just books and Kindles, they even have bug
stuff!
|
|
|
Don't
forget to bookmark us for next time - press ctrl-D
in most browsers.
|
|
|
|
|
Mission: To
provide accurate, up-to-date and unbiased information
for solving common insect and mite problems around
your home, business and landscape using least-toxic
methods.
Jack DeAngelis,
Ph.D.
Please see the Disclaimer statements as
well.
|
|
|
|
Copyright ©
2004-... LivingWithBugs, LLC. All
rights reserved.
|
