<p class="p1"><strong>Do carpenter bees/bumblebees sting?</strong>

<p class="p2">Some do, some don’t.

<p class="p2">A bee stinger is a modified egg-laying tube — it’s called an ovipositor — so that means only female bees sting. Male bees will make noise and behave aggressively, but they can’t cause any harm.

<p class="p2">The carpenter bee and bumblebee are often mistaken for each other because both are big and furry. But the first has a hairless abdomen, and the second is covered with hair.

<p class="p2">Carpenter bees live in solitary pairs and make their homes in wood. The males stand guard outside their nests, which are easily identified by their circular openings, while female carpenter bees stay inside and tend to their eggs.

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<p class="p2">“The holes are neatly chewed and 1/2 inch in diameter; each hole is identical,” reads an LSU AgCenter fact sheet.

<p class="p2">“The tunnels initially go across the grain of the wood then turn at right angles to go with the grain and extend for 4 to 6 inches. Bees will sometimes use the same tunnels and will sometimes extend the tunnels. Some are up to 10 feet long.”

<p class="p2">The males, hovering at the entrances to their nests, will behave aggressively if they feel threatened, dive-bombing and chasing other flying insects, along with any birds or people who happen to pass by.

<p class="p2">The females are generally docile, but they will sting if provoked. And because their stingers lack barbs, they can sting repeatedly.

<p class="p2">Bumblebees are social insects and live in colonies, which — depending on the species — can be found underground or above the ground. They will behave aggressively if they’re disturbed. And, like carpenter bees, they have smooth stingers and can sting multiple times.

<p class="p2">“Nesting sites include clumps of dry grass, old bird nests, abandoned rodent burrows, old mattresses, car cushions or even in or under old abandoned buildings,” reads the website of Texas A&amp;M’s Extension Service.

<p class="p2">“Most colonies contain a few hundred bees although thriving colonies can contain up to 2,000 bees. Nests may be up to 12 inches in diameter and may have several entrances.”

<p class="p3"><strong>Online:</strong> www.lsuagcenter.com; https://texasinsects.tamu.edu.

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