Carpenter bees may be distinguished from bumble bees by looking at their abdomen.
Bumble bees have a hairy abdomen while carpenter bees have a hairless, black shiny abdomen.
Carpenter bees can become a nuisance by boring into the wood in houses during the spring. The female carpenter bee chews tunnels into wood, often up to several inches long, where she will make cells to lay her eggs. Each cell is lined with nectar and pollen and separated by partitions made of chewed wood. Only one egg is laid in each cell. Adult carpenter bees emerge in late summer, each waiting in line to exit the tunnel.