Hope someone can help me identify this and let me know if it is dangerous.  I first noticed it yesterday 'attached' to a bamboo pole in the garden.  As soon as I approached it flew off and hovered close by and as soon as I backed away it returned to the bamboo pole.  This morning it was still there and has now cut a hole into the pole.

To give you some idea of scale the pole is approximately 2cm diameter, so its fairly big.

A Bee, got them on my garden, quite noisy too. Not dangerous as far as I know.????

(Unless you happen to have an allergy)

6 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

A Bee, got them on my garden, quite noisy too. Not dangerous as far as I know.

Thanks.... I suspected it may be a BEE, but never seen one that is black and as large.  Any idea what specific variety it may be.

Yep.... a bee.   some kind of bumblebee.   They are very docile and not aggressive (but don't go trying to pet it!)   They are kind of frightening through as they are huge and the buzz noise is so loud.  

 

Great photos... I never noticed the colours on the wings before. 

I believe it is called a Carpenter Bee. 

 

 

Looks like a Carpenter bee. Look them up for pics, I am sure you will find a likeness amongst them.

 

There are around 500 species of the carpenter bee, xylocopa, nearly all building nests in dead wood or bamboo. They are often similar in size and appearance to bumble bees, but are distinguished by having a hairless, shiny upper abdomen.

Carpenter bees do not eat wood; the adult female bee excavates tunnels 3-6 inches long in the wood to lay the eggs. The eggs are laid in a set of small cells in branching tunnels, or separated by a thin sliver of wood along a tunnel, each provided with a ball of pollen on which the larvae can feed. The entrance hole is perfectly round, about half an inch diameter — the size of a finger. The female can enlarge old tunnels or create new ones for egg laying. The bees are generally solitary, but can ‘cohabit’ or nest in groups.

When a bee is active there may be coarse sawdust beneath the entry hole and scraping sounds heard coming from within the wood. Carpenter bees prefer bare or weathered wood, so painted or treated wood is a deterrent.

 

 

https://www.westernexterminator.com/wood-boring-insects/

 

Edited November 27, 20187 yr by Carib
Link

Just now, Dmaxdan said:

I believe it is called a Carpenter Bee. 

Many thanks.... just looked it up on google and your 100% correct... hence the hole in the bamboo that its cutting.

3 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

I believe it is called a Carpenter Bee. 

That's why it wants to be Close to You.

6 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

That's why it wants to be Close to You.

You usually only see them on rainy days

and mondays

11 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

You usually only see them on rainy days

and mondays

So we've only just begun with the song references

For all we know, they could be Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.

And I saw one again on 26th Nov. At the North Pole.

 

47 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

You usually only see them on rainy days

and mondays

Yeah....but they wont "get me down"????

45 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So we've only just begun with the song references

For all we know, they could be Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.

And I saw one again on 26th Nov. At the North Pole.

 

Son of a gun,

this thread is fun,

on the bee chew.

Edited November 27, 20187 yr by ballpoint

_{Maybe there's a whole army of them and they're all on the take.}

I found a picture of this bee that I saved a long time ago. It was posted on TVF by another member, and I apologize for now not remembering who it was.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, neeray said:

_{Maybe there's a whole army of them and they're all on the take.}

Or campaigning for the election

3 hours ago, CharlieH said:

A Bee, got them on my garden, quite noisy too. Not dangerous as far as I know.????

(Unless you happen to have an allergy)

Or look in any way like a bamboo pole.........................

4 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

I believe it is called a Carpenter Bee. 

Indeed, and if you treat them well they’ll knock you out a new dining table.