Several people have written:
>  but as we know, they cannot sting.
***************
      I believe the female carpenter bee can sting.
      The male protects a territory in front of the nest opening, hovering
and chasing anything that intrudes into the air space. The male carpenter
bee has a yellow, or pale yellow, square mark on his forehead; the female
does not.
       The female does all the work: laying eggs and collecting nectar and
pollen. She approaches and enters the nest hole, often carrying obvious
pollen.
Tim
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Tim Sterrett
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(southeastern) Pennsylvania, USA
40N 75W