However, bumble bees do not bore into wood, and they possess very hairy bodies with white, yellow or orange hair against a background of black hair. The carpenter bee is a large robust, nearly black bee that bores tunnels into untreated wood of structures. The most common solitary bees and wasps include: carpenter bees, cicada killers and mud daubers. By comparison, solitary wasps or bees are not associated with a large nest in fact, only one individual normally occupies each nest or burrow. Truly social wasps or bees exist in large colonies associated with an elaborate nest, thus many individuals will be active at the nest entrance or on the nest. Generally, however, they can be distinguished by looking closely at the nest or burrow to see how many individuals are coming and going from a single entrance. Sometimes it is difficult to know if a bee or wasp is social or solitary, since some solitary forms exist in nesting aggregations. Unlike their social relatives, the honey bee, bumble bees, paper wasps, hornets and yellowjackets (see Purdue Extension Publication E-44, Social Bees and Wasps), these solitary forms do not defend their nest or burrow. However, solitary wasps and bees rarely sting, and then only if mishandled. Because of their frequent association with humans, solitary wasps and bees often evoke a great deal of anxiety. SOLITARY BEES AND WASPS: CARPENTER BEE, CICADA KILLER, AND MUD DAUBERSĪ number of solitary bees and wasps reside in or around homes, yards and gardens.

Cicada killer wasp