Many people think of bees as ordinary yellow insects covered in black stripes. However, many other varieties of such individuals are found in nature. One of them is considered to be a large black bee. It is also called carpenter or woodcutter. This type of insect is found in nature only in the wild. To this day, people have not been able to tame them. Moreover, there are up to 700 species of such bees.
Description of appearance and characteristic features
This bee is quite large in size. It is 2-2.5 centimeters in length.The head and body of such individuals are characterized by a rich black color and are covered with sparse fibers. The wings are distinguished by a dark blue or light blue coating. The top of the antennae is black, and the bottom is red.
Sometimes the insect is called a black bumblebee or a hornet. This is due to the fact that when moving it makes a strong hum. These individuals live in the Crimean mountains, the Caucasus, and the Stavropol region. These insects are characterized by the following distinctive features:
- large head size and powerful jaw;
- hairy legs - with their help, insects can collect a lot of pollen;
- painful bites;
- the ability to make a partition in bee nests - this allows you to make masonry;
- independent process of hatching larvae.
Insect lifestyle
The carpenter bee, or xylocope, is a social insect. These individuals form small colonies. To live, they choose the outskirts of forests and cities. Insects prefer to settle in old trees, rock cracks, and pillars. Sometimes they are found in ready-made rodent burrows. In nature, carpenters are found from May to September.
The males of these bees are highly active. Each of them has a small territory and 3-5 females, which they must carefully protect from competitors.
Habitats
They are also found in the Mediterranean, southern Russia, and Central Asia.
What does it eat?
Xylocops feed on the nectar of more than 60 flowering crops. Moreover, this category includes not only herbaceous plants, but also trees and shrubs. Carpenters love acacia most of all.
Reproduction
Female bees create a separate home by digging a tunnel in dry wood.
To achieve this, carpenters use strong chewing jaws. During breeding, males fly around their territory and drive away possible rivals. Drones use hills for defensive purposes. This makes it easier to control the territory. At this time, the females fly higher to meet the male.
At the bottom of a tunnel made in wood, bees place a nutrient mass, which consists of pollen and nectar. It is in this that the females subsequently lay eggs. The larvae that emerge from them absorb these reserves until the adult stage. The female makes a partition right above the egg. It consists of sawdust and small particles that are glued together with saliva.
Each cell is used for one egg. In this case, a new cell is built on top. Thanks to this, the bees make a real multi-story structure. The bee's nest remains until mid-autumn. All this time it is under protection. After this, the bee dies.
The larva becomes a pupa at the end of summer. Young individuals remain in their home for the winter. They make their first flight only in the spring. It is during this period that young black bees with blue wings are found. They begin making new nests at the end of May.
Benefits and harms
Carpenter bees collect pollen and pollinate plants effectively because they have a thick layer of hairs on their legs. If an insect settles near a human home, it can cause great harm. These individuals can greatly damage trees and furniture.
What to do after a bite
Carpenters rarely show aggression towards people. If you do not try to destroy insects, they are very peaceful in nature.If you try to catch a bee, it may bite, and it will be quite painful. In this case, the sting remains in the human body.
It is important to consider that tree bees have not only painful, but also very poisonous stings. If a person is healthy and not too sensitive, swelling will simply appear in the bite area. However, it is worth noting that carpenter venom can depress the human nervous system. Therefore, its common side effect is nervous shock. A bite to the throat can even be fatal.
To prevent negative consequences, you should immediately remove the sting. It is important to try not to crush it. Then you need to do the following:
- squeeze the poison out of the wound;
- apply a solution of ammonia and water to the bite site, mixing the components in a ratio of 1:5;
- bandage the affected area.
If ammonia is not at hand, you should apply salt to the wound. It needs to be mixed with water to get a paste consistency. This will help minimize swelling, manage pain, and reduce allergy symptoms.
It is also permissible to use dandelion juice for a carpenter bee sting. To do this, it is recommended to remove the sting and pour this substance generously onto the wound.
How to get rid of them
To find carpenter bees on your property, it is important to consider the following:
- Insects choose dry soft wood for living.
- Painted or treated surfaces are not attractive to carpenters. They prefer to build their nests in natural materials.
- Maximum insect activity is observed in spring. It is at this time that young individuals are looking for a place to live.
If you manage to find the passages of a carpenter bee, you can use the following means to get rid of pests:
- insecticides, gasoline or plain water;
- sealants, glue or steel wool - these substances are used to putty passages;
- citrus essential oils.
Black carpenter bees are considered a fairly common insect. They settle in wood and can cause great harm to people. Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with these bees.
