They prefer unpainted softwoods which are easy to penetrate, but painted wood is not immune to attack. The female does all the excavating. She then lays eggs and sets in provisions in individual cells separated by a chewed wood partition. It takes about 2 months for the new adults to emerge. These adults will overwinter in a protected area, may be an old tunnel, and start anew the next spring.
Carpenter bees are relatively easy to control.
Spraying the wood surface is ineffective, the insecticide needs to be injected into the tunnel. This is best done in the evening when the bees are not as active and to reduce the likelihood of a sting. Aerosols are effective only if sprayed directly onto the bee. They are solitary bees which make their nest in burrows in the ground. She lays the eggs in individual chambers in the nest and provides the egg with a food supply for when it hatches.