2023-12-19 11:07:00
From May to September, these bees of an unusual, almost black color can be seen on the edges of deciduous forests, in forest-steppes and steppes, as well as in populated areas and holiday villages with wooden buildings, in which they like to build their nests. Their habitat is very wide: they live in Western and Central Europe, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Mongolia and the Middle East.
In Russia and Ukraine, wild carpenter bees are included in the Red Book. A special honor was given to this bee in Germany – in 2024 it became the wild bee of the year. This was announced by the environmental organization Nabu, which has been holding this unusual competition since 2013. Its goal is to draw attention to pollinating bees, which are one of the most important parts of biodiversity and on which our survival depends.
The unusual color of carpenter bees is striking: their head, chest and abdomen are blue-black and shiny, covered with sparse short hairs. The wings are dark, with a bluish-purple tint, and the antennae are black with reddish tips. This type of bee is considered to be low-aggressive, although it is noted that their stings are very painful and can cause a severe allergic reaction, and a bite to the neck can even be fatal.
A carpenter bee gnaws deep holes in soft woodPhoto: Frank Hecker/picture alliance
Carpenter bees prefer to nest in soft wood – this can be a living tree or part of a wooden structure. They usually start work in April. These bees have such powerful jaws that they literally gnaw through wood, making deep passages in it. The sound is as if a mini saw is working.
It is from this nest-building feature that carpenter bees get their name. After several hours of intensive work, the length of the corridors can reach 30 centimeters. Nest cells are created in them, in which, along with the egg, the female also lays provisions for her offspring – a solid mass from processed pollen.
The path of a bee from south to north
There are currently three species of carpenter bees in Germany, of which the most common is the blue-black Xylocopa violacea. These insects are impressive with their loud buzzing and size – they are among the largest wild bees in Germany: females can reach 3.5 centimeters. Their relatives, the carpenter bees Xylocopa iris, are significantly smaller at 14 to 16 millimeters. They are found in the south of the Upper Rhine and in the French region of Alsace.
The third group includes carpenter bees Xylocopa valga, which live in the more southern regions of Germany. They were only discovered in 2009 and have been expanding their habitat ever since. As experts note, in recent years, the number of heat-loving blue-black carpenter bees has been increasing. Due to global warming, they continue to expand their range from southwest Germany towards the northern federal states – and further into Denmark. They feel especially good in villages and cities – in gardens in flower beds with sage and large-flowered sweet peas, as well as on green facades with honeysuckle and wisteria.
Wild bees are at risk of extinction
Currently, just over 600 species of wild bees live in Germany. According to the German Nature Conservation Union, about 60 percent of these insects are endangered. Unlike honey bees, which live in large families, mainly in hives and under human patronage, wild bees are solitary and hermits. Their females independently build their nests and take care of their offspring. Recently, the natural habitat of wild bees has been significantly reduced: industrialization, monoculture cultivation in modern agriculture and forestry, as well as road construction do not contribute to the development of the population.
According to experts, more than 30 species of wild bees living in Germany have already died. At the same time, more than 75 percent of agricultural crops necessary for human life and about 90 percent of flowering plants depend on the work of pollinating bees. They say that Albert Einstein once said that within four years after the extinction of bees, humanity could disappear.
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