In Touch with Nature – Sonic blast carpenter bees
Posted: September 23, 2026 Filed under: Africa, Animals, In Touch With Nature, Nature, Photography, Poetry, Wildlife | Tags: #InTouchWithNature, #RobbieCheadle, Carpenter bees, Nature Photography, Poetry, Robbie Cheadle, South Africa, Wildlife, Writing to be Read 59 Comments
A few days ago my dad called me to come and take a picture of the strange looking insect he’d found on the path. I took a couple of pictures and used the information button to identify the creature as a carpenter bee. I was very interested as I haven’t seen one of these bees before. Dad hadn’t either so it was a first for both of us.
The carpenter bee interested me so much I did some research on them. One of the most interesting facts about these bees is that they are one of the few insects capable of sonication. They grab a flower and vibrate their flight muscles at a specific frequency. This ‘sonic blast’ dislodges stubborn pollen that ordinary honeybees cannot reach.
This story American cinquain poem is the result of my research.
master
pollinator
using sonication
to dislodge obstinate pollen
clever
***
unique
ability
creates dependency
by certain plants like tomatoes
crucial
***
females
have large bodies
with bare black abdomens
yellow, orange, or white markings
pretty
***
using
strong mandibles
female carpenter bees
bore perfectly round, smooth tunnels
drill holes
***
building
individual
egg chambers in tunnel
using shavings and saliva
strong walls
***
drilling
takes energy
daughters reuse mom’s nest
expanding and cleaning old homes
heirloom
***
male bees
have no stinger
aggressive dive-bombing
pure intimidation tactic
harmless
About Robbie Cheadle
Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5
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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
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That’s amazing. Animals are so clever. I love your photo by the wild dog painting.
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HI Darlene, I never cease to be amazed by our natural environment. Thank you.
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Fascinating Robbie.
Thank you for sharing.
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My pleasure, Maggie.
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Carpenter bees are indeed clever, Robbie! Great information! And sonication is my new favorite word. 🙂
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I so enjoyed the post Robbie, photo and poem. They are such clever little things, we have a carpenter bee here, and I like watching them build their nests in wood of any kind.
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Hi Paul, strangely I’ve never seen one where I live before. Maybe it’s the wetter weather we’ve been experiencing that’s brought them. I saw another one today.
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You’re probably right about that, it seems to be so. We have people over here selling bee hotels made of scrap wood and bark, carpenters are more visible then when they have something to dig into here, that’s when we see them.
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That makes sense. Thanks for this extra information.
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An excellent poem and an interesting fact. Hmm, carpenter bees, I must have a look around my garden to see what I’m seeing.
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Hi Chris, once you know about these bees, you keep looking for them 😉
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I will!!
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😊
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An interesting post, Robbie! These bees are amazing creatures! Well done.
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Thank you, Dwight. I was very interested in what I discovered about them. I am looking out for them now.
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You are wecome!
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💙
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Very cool creatures.
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What a great thing your dad shared to inspire you and all of us to learn more in your wonderful poem, Robbie! 💓
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It was very nice of him to call me and show me his find.
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Sooo sweet!! ❣️
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🩵
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I respect bees, but miss mammalian fur.
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🐝💛🖤
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That’s so interesting, Robbie. I didn’t know that! We have eastern carpenter bees here, and they also use sonification.
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I found it fascinating. These bees are also very large.
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It is fascinating. 🐝
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😊
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Fascinating facts about these cute and well adapted bees. Nature is amazing! Thanks Robbie.
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My pleasure, Brad. I always enjoy discovering a creature that is new to me 💕
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Me too, but I rarely dig into the details like you and a couple of other bloggers I follow. 😊
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I am a very curious person and I like to share what I discover 😊
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What a fascinating write, Robbie and these are amazing creatures!
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Hi Punam, I’m pleased you enjoyed this poem. I thought domination was very interesting and clever.
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* sonication
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I’m glad you got this posted here, Robbie. Carpenter bees are very interesting.
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Hi Tim, they are unusual with their unique method of pollination. I’m glad I got to see this one.
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😍
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We have carpenter bees which I dont mind as much as the ants I didn’t know about their sound capabilities. Great poem!
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Hi Denise, it’s great seeing you you. Now you will appreciate them even more. Ants can be a nuisance but they also serve a purpose.
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What interesting colors on this bee. We have the Southern carpenter bee in this part of Texas; they don’t have any white on them. They look similar (kind of a husky bee), but the females are all black and all smooth, and the males have a fuzzy yellow thorax. I didn’t know about the sonication. Amazing creatures!
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Hi Priscilla, it seems most people don’t know about the sonication. I am pleased I could share that information about these useful bees. It’s nice you have them in Texas.
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I’ve never heard of carpenter bees, Robbie. Black and white is unusual. We had carpenter ants in Indiana where I’m from. I like your American cinquain poem about the bee and what it does. You must get your love of nature from your dad! 🙂
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Hi Kay, I did read up about carpenter ants. There are so many different species of ants ranging from useful creatures to pests. Dad and I were very intrigued by this female specimen of carpenter bee.
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Well spotted by your father. All tiny creatures have diverse ways of doing things that we can only find out with modern cameras and phones.
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You are right, Janet. We are lucky to live in an age of information that is easily available.
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I’d never heard of carpenter bees before either. Are they limited to your part of the world?
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Hi Liz, I’ve never seen a carpenter bee here before. I think it came because of the early rain and mild spring weather.
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That’s so interesting Robbie. I see your father is as observant and curious as you–an excellent trait! (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe. Dad taught me to be observant 💞
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Makes sense.
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I found it particularly interesting that the males can’t sting, but their instinct allows them to intimidate others with their aggressive actions.
It reminds me of birds who divebomb someone who gets close to their nest.
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Hi Pete, yes, it is exactly
Like that 🤗
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Is It an invasive species Robbie?
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Hi Wayne, no, carpenter bees are not invasive to South Africa. It is unusual to get them where I live as it’s hot and dry. The recent cooler and wetter weather is probably responsible.
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I read up a bit about them as well.
The males have no stinger….but the female does!
I think that reflects humans!
The female stays with It’s daughters but shoos the males away!
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It’s an interesting comparison. Some women put their children first but not all. Many put their husbands first/ partners first. It’s an interesting dynamic I notice.
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We have carpenter bees at school on the playground. They flutter in space, which is fascinating to watch. They are totally harmless. What they want to do is ‘drill’ small holes under the roof in the playhouses.
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Reading what you wrote, is about as close as I want to come to bees of any kind. I totally respect them and choose to honor them. I have had allergic reactions in the past, so we nod to each other in passing!
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