10 Difference between Bumble Bee and Carpenter Bee (With Table)

Both bumblebee and carpenter bee are insects from the bee families but of different species which makes them behave differently.

Bumblebees have a hairy abdomen that may have some yellow markings while carpenter bees have a bare shiny black abdomen.

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Comparison Table (Bumble Bee Vs Carpenter Bee)

Basic Terms Bumblebee Carpenter bee
Appearance They have a hairy abdomen that may have some yellow markings. They have a bare shiny black abdomen.
Habitat Found in temperate climates mainly at higher latitudes and altitudes. They mainly live in the woods.
Size The adult worker bumblebee measure about 6-25mm and the queen measure about 17-25mm. Adult body length measures about 12.5 to 25mm.
Pollinators They visit flowers for the nectar and pollen on which they feed. They are not only attracted to pretty flowers. They visit flowers to feed on nectar and transfer the pollen grains. They are attracted to pretty flowers alone.
Purpose They pollinate the plants even where the other insects cannot pollinate. They pollinate plants throughout even during bad weather. They pollinate other plants by transferring the pollen grains. They only pollinate plants when the weather is conducive for them to do so.
Nest They have their nests underground, in places such as abandoned rodent holes, under shades, and in compost heaps. They excavate tunnels in woods to be used as nests.
Lifecycle They have several stages at the larvae stage before turning into a pupa. They take a long to fully mature into adults after the eggs have been laid. They only develop through four stages that are; egg, larvae, pupa the adult. They take roughly seven days to develop into adults.
Controls Fill in all animal or rodents burrows and holes in the soil. Spray a residual insecticide in the areas where the bees are active.
Species They are of over 250 species They include 500 bees in the genus.
Colony They are social insects that live in colonies They do not form colonies.
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What Is Bumble Bee?

A bumble is an insect found in bee families. They are of over 250 species in the genus Bombus. It is the only extant group.

They are black in color and they have a hairy abdomen that may sometimes have yellow markings on them. They live in holes or under compost heaps.

They are very useful when it comes to pollination as they can even pollinate plants where other bees cannot. They are not only attracted to pretty flowers, but they do also pollinate all the plants. They are active even when the weather is bad, unlike other insects.

The queens lay eggs during winter and get a nesting site after which they go through various stages to become adults during summer. They live in burrows or under compost heaps.

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What Is Carpenter Bee?

Carpenter bees are insects found in bee families. They are 500 bees in the genus and 31 subgenera. They are found in the genus Xylocopa.

They are black in color and they have a bare shiny abdomen. They get their name from their nesting behavior. They bury themselves in tard plant materials such as dead wood or bamboo.

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As they make holes in the wood to create their nests, they do damage trees and this makes many people dislike them hence spraying insecticides wherever they are to kill them.

They go through four stages of growth and development which take roughly seven weeks, unlike other bees that may take longer to develop into adults.

Main Differences between Bumble Bee and Carpenter Bee

  1. A bumblebee has a hairy abdomen that may sometimes have yellow markings while a carpenter bee has a bare shiny abdomen.
  2. Bumblebees live in burrows or under compost heaps while the carpenter bees live in woods where they create a whole.
  3. Bumblebees take along to fully develop into adults while carpenter bees take roughly seven weeks to develop into adults.
  4. Bumblebees can pollinate all plants regardless of their appearance while the carpenter bees pollinate the attractive plants only.
  5. Bumblebees are controlled by filling all the holes around while carpenter bees are controlled by spraying them with an insecticide.
  6. Bumblebees live in colonies of around 50-400 bees while carpenter bees do not form colonies.

Similarities between Bumble Bee and Carpenter Bee

  1. They both pollinate flowers.
  2. They both feed on nectar.
  3. They both go through the four stages of growth and development.
  4. They all appear similar only that the carpenter bee lacks yellow markings on the abdomen.
  5. They are both social insects.

FAQs

How Are Bumble Bees Different from Carpenter Bees?

Bumblebees are black in color but they have a hairy abdomen and sometimes it may have yellow markings while a carpenter bee is black in color but the abdomen is bare and shiny.

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Are Bumbles Bees Bigger than Carpenter Bees?

Both bees are almost the same in size. They may be different just by an inch which is not even noticeable.

Do Carpenter Bees Sting or Bite?

Male carpenter bees only buzz the heads of humans but they do not sting. Female carpenter bees can only sting if the nest is threatened.

Are Carpenter Bees Aggressive?

Yes, they are aggressive only that the male carpenter bees only buzz around the human heads but they do not sting whereas the female carpenter bees only sting when their nest is threatened.

How Do You Know That You Have Seen A Bumble Bee?

Bumblebees fall into various groups depending on the color of the tail. Some have whitetail, some red tail, and others the tail is the same color as the abdomen. All this may assist you to identify the bumblebee.

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Comparison Video

Summary

Bumblebees and carpenter bees both belong to bee families. They are different from the way they appear in that a bumblebee has a hairy abdomen and sometimes it may contain yellow markings while the carpenter bee has a bare shiny abdomen.

Both the bees have different habitats and are organized differently in the way they live. They both pollinate plants and feed on nectar.

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