Carpenter bees are found throughout the United States. The most common and frequently encountered are large carpenter bees, which resemble bumble bees. Carpenter bees have shiny black dorsal abdomen surfaces, while bumble bees have yellow and black hairy abdominal surfaces.
The carpenter bee is unique because it nests by boring holes into any dead wood that is available, be it a house, deck, fence, overhang, or windowsills. Although the holes may only appear to be a couple inches deep, they don’t stop there.