What Is the Big Black Bee

The Valley Carpenters are the largest bees in California. Usually referred to as “black bumblebees”, they’re actually distant cousins to bumblebees just like honey bees. You might have encountered this bee before, nesting in or around your home.

What are those huge black bees called?

You’ve probably noticed large, shiny, black bees hovering around your home in the spring. These are called carpenter bees, a species in the genus Xylocopa of the subfamily Xylocopinae.

What type of bee is all black?

Instead, they’re almost fully black? These black bees are carpenter bees and, similar to carpenter ants, they may be up to no good around your home. Let’s learn a little more about them and how you can avoid any problems.