DiggerBees – Carpenter Bees – Anthoporidae family

Digger/Carpenter Bees   Family: Anthoporidae Common Name: Long-horned bees, plasterer, and yellow-faced bees Appearance: Digger/carpenter bees belong to the Anthoporidae family, which mainly consists of ground-nesting bees. They are small in size, ranging from 5mm to 30mm. These bees are black with characteristic stiff hairs on their abdomen for carrying pollen. Host Plants or Food: Digger/carpenter bees feed on flower nectar and pollen. Besides, they also nest in old wood or ground and seal it with wax. Territory: Throughout North America, Europe, and Eastern USA Mode of Damage:  They include Stem and twig damagers as well as trunk and branch borers, but as they interact with flowers, they also help in pollination and are considered beneficial garden insects. Habits and Life History: Digger/carpenter bees are solitary bees that prefer dry, sandy areas with scanty vegetation. The male bees hover around the nest, looking for a female bee to mate with. Primarily, the female bees take part in reproduction while the male drones protect the females and the nest. After mating, the female bee makes a nest in the ground or wood with 4 to 5 cells. It deposits pollen and an egg in each cell, where it hatches into a larva. The larvae feed off the pollen until it turns into an adult and crawls out of the nest. It returns to the nest again during fall for hibernation.