beings and buzz loudly around them or fly close to them. The female, on the other hand, is capable of stinging; while the pain level of these stings is not well-documented, researchers have testified that X. virginica will sting if roughly handled. As the stinger is not barbed, a female can sting multiple times. Human importance Agriculture X. virginica visits many different kinds of flowers in order to gather pollen and nectar to bring back to the nest for larvae. Most of the plants they visit are wild grown or grown for decorative value; however, they can be good pollinators of blueberry crops. Their active seasons are quite long, and they forage on a wide variety of plant species. Also, because the start of their activity season is dependent on temperature, it is easy for greenhouse workers to manipulate the beginning of foraging activity. However, in comparison to species such as the honey bee, their smaller nest makes them less powerful as pollinators. Destructive behavior Because X. virginica builds its nests in various types of wood, it presents the disadvantage of weakening wood in manmade structures. They are also able to produce an excrement upon exiting their tunnels that may splash on the sides of buildings and negatively affect the aesthetic appeal of that structure. However, when weighed against the benefits X. virginica have as pollinators, the costs of its destructive behavior are insignificant. X. virginica offer benefits in the form of pollination for fruits, vegetables, legumes, and flower crops. Although the pollination strengths of X. virginica are secondary to that of the bumblebees and honey bees, the contribution is great enough to overlook destructive tendencies. X. virginica avoid entrances that are stained white, which is a possible solution to keeping them out of unwanted areas. References Further reading Mitchell, Theodore B. (1962): Bees of the Eastern United States. Vol. II, The North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Tech. Bul. No.152, pp. 557 (p. 507 ff) Balduf WV, 1962. Life of the carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica (Linn.) (Xylocopidae, Hymenoptera). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 55:263-271. Barrows EM, 1983. Male Territoriality in the Carpenter Bee Xylocopa virginica. Animal Behaviour 31: 806-813. Barthell JF, Baird TA, 2004. Size variation and Aggression among Male Xylocopa virginica (L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a Nesting Site in Central Oklahoma. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 77:10-20. Gerling D, Hermann HR, 1976. Biology and Mating Behavior