Species Insects & ArthropodsEastern Carpenter Bee

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa virginica

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica)

The Eastern Carpenter Bee is a large, solitary bee that excavates tunnels in bare wood for nesting. Males hover aggressively but cannot sting; females rarely sting unless handled. Vital native pollinator.

Habitat
Woodland edges, gardens, and structures with exposed wood
Diet
Pollen and nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants
How common
Common

Best time to see a Eastern Carpenter Bee

The best time to see a Eastern Carpenter Bee is April–August, when about 66% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 120,480 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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Not certain it is a Eastern Carpenter Bee? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.

Often confused with

Common Eastern Bumble Bee - see how to tell them apart

Recent Eastern Carpenter Bee sightings near you

Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.

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