Do carpenter bees sting?
Males can't; they have no stinger, and they're the ones hovering at your face. Females can but seldom do unless they're handled.
Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica)
Reviewed by William "Willy" Vizcarrondo, NYS Certified Pesticide Applicator (C1825832). Updated September 23, 2026.
Quick facts
The carpenter bee is the big, hovering bee that drills perfectly round half-inch holes in decks, fascia, cedar trim, and pergolas across Long Island every spring. It looks like a bumble bee, but it's a solitary wood nester, and the same tunnels get reused and extended year after year.
| Size | 1/2 to 1 inch |
|---|---|
| Color | Black with a shiny, hairless black abdomen; bumble bees are fuzzy all over |
| Look-alikes | Bumble bee (fuzzy abdomen, nests in the ground), large flies |
| Where you'll find it | Unpainted or weathered wood: deck rails and joists, fascia, soffits, cedar shingles, pergolas, fence posts, windowsills |
| Active on Long Island | April through August; a second emergence in August |
| Danger level | Wood damage that compounds yearly; males can't sting, females rarely do |
Long Island season
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Adults emerge from the tunnels in April, drill and nest through spring, and a new generation emerges in August before overwintering in the same wood.
How to identify it
The easiest tell is the abdomen. A carpenter bee's is shiny black and nearly hairless; a bumble bee's is fuzzy and usually has yellow on it (Penn State).
Carpenter bees hover in one spot, dart at anything that comes near, and go in and out of clean round holes about half an inch across drilled against the grain of the wood. The male, which does the hovering and dive-bombing, has no stinger at all.
Signs you have them
- Round 1/2 inch holes in wood, usually on the underside of rails, fascia, and beams
- Piles of coarse sawdust below the holes
- Yellowish staining under the holes from waste
- Loud buzzing inside wood
- Woodpecker damage, since woodpeckers tear open the tunnels to eat the larvae
Why it matters
One hole is cosmetic. The problem is that broods in later years extend and branch the same galleries, and Penn State notes that repeated years of use "may cause considerable structural damage."
On Long Island's North Shore, where cedar shingles, cedar trim, and big wood decks are everywhere, we see rails and fascia boards that are honeycombed inside after five or six seasons. Woodpeckers make it worse by ripping the wood open to get at the larvae.
Can I handle it myself?
The mistake almost everyone makes is caulking the holes as soon as they see them. Penn State is blunt about it: do not plug the holes immediately. Bees sealed inside chew new exits, and untreated larvae emerge in August anyway.
The right order is treat the galleries, wait for activity to stop, then plug with a dowel or wood putty and paint. Painted or stained wood is far less attractive than bare wood, so painting exposed trim is the one prevention step that works.
How Bobby Bugs treats it
We treat every active gallery, come back to confirm the bees are gone, then plug and seal the holes so they can't be reused. Carpenter bee treatment is priced by the number of holes and carries a 1-year written guarantee.
Related answers
Frequently asked questions
Should I fill carpenter bee holes?
Yes, but only after the galleries have been treated and activity has stopped. Filling them first traps bees inside and doesn't stop the larvae from emerging later.
Why do carpenter bees come back to the same spot every year?
Because the new generation overwinters in the tunnels and emerges in spring to reuse and extend them. Unsealed, untreated holes get bigger every year.
How do I keep carpenter bees off my deck?
Paint or stain the wood. Bare and weathered wood is what they drill. Treat and seal any existing holes so they can't be reused.
Sources
Think you have carpenter bees? Call (516) 509-6001 for a free written quote.