The big, black bumblebee that lives on St. Martin (Xylocopa mordax) nests in wood, chewing a burrow where it raises its larvae. Today I spotted two nests in a ficus tree on the roadside in Cole Bay. Both were in branches that had been heavily trimmed and seemed to be dead, but still attached to the tree. I would guess that the bees prefer dead wood because it is easier to burrow into.
