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Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa species)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
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What Is a Carpenter Bee?
Carpenter bees don't eat wood. Females chew a perfectly round entrance hole about the size of a finger, then turn and tunnel along the grain to make nest galleries for their young. The same galleries get reused and lengthened year after year, and woodpeckers may tear into the wood to reach the larvae. Florida has more than one species, including the eastern and the southern carpenter bee.
How to Identify Them
They resemble bumble bees but have a bare, shiny abdomen. Males hover near nests and may "dive-bomb" people, but males can't sting. Females can sting but rarely do.
The South Florida Season
The most activity is seen in spring, when females clear out galleries and males patrol near nest holes. Sawdust under fascia or decks is a common spring warning sign around local homes.
Life Cycle
In spring, females clear out or extend tunnels, stock each cell with a ball of pollen and nectar, lay an egg, and seal it. Larvae feed on the pollen, pupate and emerge as adults later in the year. Some adults overwinter in the old galleries and reuse them the next season.
Florida Species
Two carpenter bees are common in Florida: the eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica), with a fuzzy yellow thorax, and the southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans), which is mostly black with a metallic sheen.
Look-alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Bumble bees: fuzzy, hairy abdomen; nest in the ground, not in wood.
- Florida carpenter ants: workers have no wings and nest inside wood without round entry holes.
- Wood-boring beetles: leave smaller, irregular holes.
Where They Nest Around South Florida Homes
Fascia boards, eaves and rafter tails, decks and railings, pergolas and gazebos, wood fences and outdoor furniture.
When to Call a Pro
Call if you see new round holes, sawdust piles or bees hovering at the eaves. Galleries are treated first, then plugged after activity stops.
Signs of Carpenter Bees
- Round, clean-edged holes about 1/2 inch across in wood trim or decks
- Sawdust piles under the holes
- Yellowish stains below holes
- Large bees hovering at eaves or pergolas
Is it dangerous?
- Property damage
Wood damage over years; important pollinators.
Prevention Tips
- Paint or seal exposed wood; bees prefer bare, weathered wood.
- Repair holes after treatment so they aren't reused.
- Consider composite or metal trim for problem spots.
How Pro-Spray Treats Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are pollinators, so we treat only where they're damaging the home. We treat the nest galleries in the wood with products labeled for carpenter bees, then recommend plugging and sealing the holes once activity stops. We don't treat flowering plants, shrubs or trees. Our Bug Free Guarantee: If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost.
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+ FREE inspection
Then stay protected with our $125 quarterly pest control plan, about $42/month.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do carpenter bees sting?
Do carpenter bees eat wood?
Should I just plug the holes?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
Get $50 OFF your first pest service and a FREE inspection & estimate. Ongoing protection is $125 quarterly (about $42/month), with no contracts and no cancellation fees.
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