Do carpenter bees sting you?

It can be rather unnerving being around them, as the males will also hover aggressively around people who approach the nests. They may even fly right into you. Despite this tough act, male carpenter bees cannot sting. Female carpenter bees can sting, but almost never do. read more

Carpenter bees nest in pairs, rather than the large nests of social bees, and the male has no sting (it's a modified ovipositer, an egg-laying tube, after all). Consequently he cannot sting (the female can, and sometimes does), and there are very occasional records of bites. read more

Within the United States carpenter bees are categorized in two genera – large carpenter bees (Xylocopa) and small carpenter bees (Ceratina). Xylocopa is the group of most likely to make their presence and associated damage known to property owners. read more