[KILLERBEE]

Can anyone tell me about these? I presume they are wild because they just appeared today and are fighting with and trying to rob my bees and I'm relatively certain there are no other beeks near my location.

 

[tomkat]

I think it is a wasp of some sort.

 

[SRatcliff]

Looks like an old robber honeybee. Their hairs fall/get chewed off and abdomens darken.

 

[KILLERBEE]

Not a wasp, they are very similar to most bees except for the color. There are hundreds of them. I've seen and keep some very dark mostly black bees, but never seen anything like these.

 

[Dominic]

Looks like an old robber honeybee. Their hairs fall/get chewed off and abdomens darken.

I don't know. I regularly see bees like that on flowers... on which I never see honey bees on. They are also significantly smaller than my honey bees. I'm not convinced this is a honey bee. Nor am I certain it isn't, though.

 

[SRatcliff]

I don't know. I regularly see bees like that on flowers... on which I never see honey bees on. They are also significantly smaller than my honey bees. I'm not convinced this is a honey bee. Nor am I certain it isn't, though.

Its hard to tell the size on my screen. I know there are several other bees and even flies that resemble honeybees.

 

[Tennessee's Bees LLC]

That is a honeybee. Likely a robber to be that black and slick.