Q: I planted several varieties of new flowers this past summer
specifically to help the struggling bee population, especially
honeybees. I got bees alright, but they're almost all carpenter
bees, particularly on my speedwell. Should I be(e!) concerned
about damage to the wood of my house with this new, big, happy
population of carpenters? I checked... they look somewhat like
bumbles, but smaller and have black rear sections. I do not know
where their nest is and don't want to harm beneficial bees like
the honeys with pesticides. Do I give up on planting for bees or
risk wood damage? A: Interesting issue. That does sound like
carpenter bees. They look a lot like bumble bees, except the top
of their abdomens are shiny black and hairless. Carpenter bees
are also different from bumble bees in that they nest in trees
and wooden structures instead of in the ground. That's what
makes them a nuisance. Given enough carpenter bees and time,
they can do some fairly significant damage to wood. They seem to
be attracted m