This bee is drilling a hole in the foam insulation on the side of my top bar hive. Only a foot away from the entrance. Is it a Bumble bee? Mason bee? I guess I need to work on my bee id skills!
Thanks, Rich
(http://s13.postimg.org/6oesvtv4j/bee.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6oesvtv4j/)
(http://s18.postimg.org/pdx02oyb9/bees.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/pdx02oyb9/)
Carpenter bee
(http://s15.postimg.org/6y0jie1yf/800px_Carpenter_bee_1.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/6y0jie1yf/)
Yeap, I would agree with Highlander.
Joe
Carpenter bee - destructive as hell. Kill everyone you see!
Build them a nesting site...they're great pollinators!
Scott
Quote from: hardwood on May 21, 2013, 11:02:20 PM
Build them a nesting site...they're great pollinators!
Scott
Entertaining too!
Nice article on using Carpenter Bees for very specialized pollination services.
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/927463/ (http://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/2010/927463/)
I know these are sometimes hived in "bee Boards" for orchard pollination, much like mason bees and the alfalfa leafcutter bees.
Get them to nest in a movable material (place your board over where they are already started). They are very loyal to a location, and the nest slowly expands as a mother/daughter colony. Drones are foragers too.