Last Updated December 14th, 2022: Carpenter bees are known to be “gentle giants”, owing to their habit of digging up holes in the woods with wide and active jaws. These little creatures create their niche inside many tree trunks and form bee pollen where they can lay large eggs. That being said, in this guide we’re going to talk about how long do carpenter bees live, because the answer might surprise you!
Many stories have been told about how hardworking they are but have you ever wondered how long they get to live or if their lifespan differs according to their species?
Oh well, let’s get on to discussing the lifespan of carpenter bees.
How Long Do Carpenter Bees Live? – Lifespan Of Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees can live up to 3 years long.
They can live for up to three years while producing a generation or two on an annual basis. The newly-bred females live in the nest with their mothers while the male pair goes on to look for food for them. Unlike many other bee classes, carpenter bees do not have a queen or worker group. This species feeds on flowers, making them competent pollen transporters for most flowers and vegetables like tomato and eggplant.
Carpenter bees are often mistaken for bumblebees because many people have little or no idea about them. The fact is, they do not live as a colony but as a pair, be it male or female, and are recognized as one of the biggest bees to originate in the United States.
Why Carpenter Bees Matter
These insects can look quite scary at first sight because of their size. So it’s normal to find people running off at the sight of these bees. No one wants to get stung, right?
On the contrary, however, carpenter bees are gentle. Although the females can sting as a form of defense, the males which you’d expect to show more aggressiveness and protect its territory do not sting. They are often regarded as pests because of how fast they dominate tree regions, boring holes to make their nest.
However, carpenter bees contribute a lot to the pollination process, and this role they play makes their importance far more crucial than whatever menace they might pose. During their food search, they make buzzing sounds that resemble that of a saw in action, hence the name “Carpenter bees.”
The nectar from flowers is usually their target, not the trees’ woods. While they feast on flowers for nectar, they help to transfer pollen, which is almost like half the task necessary for pollination in plants and vegetables.
Final Thoughts On Carpenter Bee Lifespan
The carpenter bees play a vital role in the ecosystem throughout their lifespan. So you may want to pause and think for a second about these benefits the next time you consider using insecticides or pesticides to control their population.
However, if their presence poses a substantial threat to you or your home, it is only ideal to source for a remedy to control them. You’ll find professionals out there that can help to keep them away efficiently. We’d also recommend that you use strong wood in construction projects because the bees tend to find it difficult to burrow into them while building up their space.
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