Carpenter Bee

carpenter_bee02_sm.jpg: Carpenter bee
Range: Eastern North America
Habitat: Forests and adjacent grasslands
Conservation Status: Not listed by IUCN
Scientific Name: Xylocopa virginica

This fat bee can be a pest to homeowners when it chews into wood to lay its eggs. Several generations will return to the same location. Over time, the many tunnels they dig to raise their offspring can weaken the wood. A female carpenter bee can tunnel through an inch of wood in six days!