Carpenter bees are often mistaken for their friendlier, fuzzier cousins, bumblebees. But if it has a shiny black rear end with little to no fuzz, it’s a carpenter bee. The males are the dramatic ones—dive-bombing intruders and hovering menacingly—but they don’t have stingers. The females do the drilling—chewing into wooden railings and beams to lay eggs, and they can sting if provoked.
Natasha was on Mass Appeal with what you need to know about spotting and addressing carpenter bees on your property.