borer bee
A carpenter bee — the big yellow-and-black one that drills holes in porch wood.
Also called carpenter bee, wood bee.
Updated September 21, 2026
borer bee pronunciation
/BOHR-er bee/
Meaning
Regional name for the carpenter bee, especially the eastern kind that tunnels into unfinished lumber. Farmers and porch-sitters call them borer bees because you hear the buzz and then find round holes in railings, barn siding, and deck joists. They do not eat the wood. They carve nest tunnels and leave sawdust piles that make you mad.
How folks use it
- “There's a borer bee working that soft pine railing again.”
- “Paint the eaves or them borer bees will turn the fascia into swiss cheese.”
Origin and etymology
Plain farm naming: the bee bores into wood, so it is a borer bee. Standard English calls the same insect a carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa). West Tennessee papers and Southern home talk still use borer bee / wood bee for the porch pests that show up every spring.
Frequently asked questions
Do borer bees sting?
Males cannot sting, though they dive-bomb your head to guard territory. Females can sting but seldom do unless you grab them.