... to enter a bee hive on the off chance of finding somewhere warm to hang out.
I was transferring a colony into a larger box earlier today, and look what dropped out of the old box:
(http://i63.tinypic.com/30wbn0m.jpg)
That's some bumble bee. I put one of my dead girls I found on the path next to it for comparison - like a private light aircraft parked next to a 747 jumbo !
LJ
Looks more like a carpenter bee to me. I don't see any yellow.
Yes we have them here in AZ, not sure what classified as, but they do live in holes they bore into trees etc. like a carpenter bee....
Well, I sure hope it's not a carpenter bee - this is a typical Brit carpenter bee entrance in a fence post (they're normally round and so look smaller), with matey and a one pound coin alongside for comparison:
(http://i68.tinypic.com/2u6i59i.jpg)
If these buggers start making holes, then they're gonna get themselves exterminated ... 'cause I can't see people putting up with that kind of destruction.
LJ
I find bumble bees in the hives most every fall. They always have all the hair pulled out and are solid black as a result.
How to tell the difference between a bumble bee and carpenter bee
Looked one of ours up and indeed Carpenter Bees (Xylocopinae, Xylocopa)
(http://aaabeeremoval.com/wordpress_main/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/AAABeeRemoval_CarpenterBee.jpg)
Carpenter bees are large, black, robust bees that establish their nests in dead, soft woods. They are about the same size as bumble bees, but are distinctively completely black with clear wings. They are commonly found in dead oleander, yucca stalks, wood piles, rotting tree trunks, and, unfortunately, untreated wood structures in residential houses. They make their nests by tunneling into wood. Each nest has a single entrance but can have many adjacent tunnels. Often, fresh sawdust is clearly visible piled up under an area of infestation. Carpenter bees are usually considered as solitary bees, but in our area are known to co-habit a nesting site and can cause consequent considerable structural damage over time if left untreated. Unlike bumble bees, the fertile females can over-winter, do not abandon their nests and will continue to thrive in an area of occupation. If you see large black bees slowly exploring the outside of your house, these are more than likely Carpenter bees.
Carpenter bees are another species of valuable long tongued pollinators. However, unlike bumble bees, they are not aggressive and have to be seriously aggravated to sting. Often, a female or non-stinging male will hover near the entrance of a nest site and challenge an intruder, but this is more a bluff than a threat. Many people fear them because; they are large, curious, and loud, stick around houses and are persistent in their explorations. Unless Carpenter bees are causing structural damage to your home, we advise leaving them alone, they are hard working pollinators, particularly attracted to deep throated blue and purple flowers.
stole this from here.... http://aaabeeremoval.com/other-arizona-stinging-bee-species/ (http://aaabeeremoval.com/other-arizona-stinging-bee-species/)
Around here what we call carpenter bees may be different elsewhere. The bees I'm referring to are large and black. Some of them have a yellow face. The ones with a yellow face won't sting you even if you catch them with your hand. (seriously) However, the same bee with the black face will put a hurt on you if you grab it.