[AGTtactical]

Hi ya'll. Anyone ever see something like this before? This carpenter bee was observed dead just inside one of the entrance holes. She had apparently squeezed through one of our entrance arches, and was killed. Our girls were struggling so hard to get it out of the hive, pulling with everything they could, for 2 days. My wife got some tweezers ..the girls got out of her way as if they knew we were helping...Pernille grabbed two legs of the dead carpenter bee and it finally popped out.

Lots of bees on the porch...not sure why a carpenter bee would try to enter a healthy hive like this? Any ideas? Maybe it was attracted to the hole in the entrance to use for her own nest, but to try to get in with all our honey bee activity and guards was obviously suicidal.

 

[Cloverdale]

I always thought they were balled bumble bees!

 

[AGTtactical]

Furry bottoms = bumbles
Bare bottoms = carpenters

 

[Cloverdale]

I have found what I have thought are hairless bumbles around my hives; I figured the bees in killing them the hair would be rubbed off. They didn’t look like carpenter bees. Not often but I would find them. I will look closer next time.

 

[AGTtactical]

It is a carpenter bee...I wasn't asking what it was. We've had them drilling into barn wood on the farm for decades. Lots of people get them confused...when I was a kid, I called them bumbles too because I didn't know any better at the time. Rubbing the hair off from being attacked? The hair is still on the thorax...but not on the abdomen...just like the carpenter bee species in our area. I'm sure bumbles can lose hair...there are 250 species for them. But that's not the case with this bee...its clearly a carpenter.

 

[Cloverdale]

Sheesh! What is your problem? Did you ever see a bumble bee with no hair? I am not arguing what you saw, just relating my errors in what I thought I saw around my hives.

 

[AGTtactical]

I'm sorry, but it sure appeared like you thought it was funny to point out that its a bumble bee (when it isn't), & then continued to subtly argue that it is a hairless one. My bad.

 

[Fivej]

AGTtactical you just made a tactical error. My bet is most will wonder what your problem is. You can put me on ignore too. Thanks. J

 

[AGTtactical]

Look, I just asked if anyone had ever seen a carpenter bee crawl into a healthy hive like this, not a dispute over what is and is not a carpenter bee. Maybe I misunderstood her. She originally said she thought they were '"balled bumblebees".

 

[lucky llama]

Yes, I saw one being drug out just last week.

 

[AGTtactical]

Yes, I saw one being drug out just last week.

THANK YOU lucky. Any idea why they are going into a healthy hive like that? Maybe looking for a nesting site? Very strange that they'd do that...

 

[lucky llama]

I have no idea. This hive is near my barn, which has a healthy carpenter bee population.

 

[AGTtactical]

Thanks again.

 

[Oldtimer]

I have found what I have thought are hairless bumbles around my hives; I figured the bees in killing them the hair would be rubbed off.

That.

 

[Oldtimer]

Carpenter bee not going to attempt entry to your hive, bumblebees do it frequently. Sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they get balled and looking like the bee in your pic.

When I see bumblebees entering a hive they just seem to bulldoze their way in, oblivious to all the bees attacking them. Seems rather cavalier for the risk they are taking. If they don't come out fairly soon, they come out dead, hairless, and as per your picture.

 

[AGTtactical]

Carpenter bee not going to attempt entry to your hive, bumblebees do it frequently. Sometimes they get away with it, sometimes they get balled and looking like the bee in your pic.
When I see bumblebees entering a hive they just seem to bulldoze their way in, oblivious to all the bees attacking them. Seems rather cavalier for the risk they are taking. If they don't come out fairly soon, they come out dead, hairless, and as per your picture.

Except mine is not hairless...it has perfectly normal hair on its thorax...if hair was getting removed, it wouldn't just be on the abdomen. Anyhow, again, we are into the carpenter vs. bumble thing. I'm not saying that that can't happen to bumble bees...I'm saying that this is a carpenter bee. Please let this argument go...I only asked why they do it... Lucky llama has already said he's seem the same behavior in his hives with carpenter bees. Why are bumbles trying to enter your hives?

 

[Cloverdale]

I'm sorry, but it sure appeared like you thought it was funny to point out that its a bumble bee (when it isn't), & then continued to subtly argue that it is a hairless one. My bad.

I was making fun of myself thinking that. Never thought it could be a carpenter bee.

 

[Oldtimer]

Why are bumbles trying to enter your hives?

They try to steal honey, and sometimes succeed. When they fail, they are left outside the hive entrance exactly as per your photo. Exactly.

How do I know they are not carpenter bees? We don't have carpenter bees in my country.

 

[bobo]

Oldtimer hit it on the head - for the honey. I've seen large bodies bees, as well as yellow jackets, hovering around the entrances of my bees. I think its the colony aroma that attracts them. Often they are challenged by the guards, but I'd guess, sometimes they can make it inside. What goes on then I've no idea. Seems they defy the risk/reward ratio and yours ended up dead on the landing board. Perhaps it had been once successful, and came back for more ... only to meet its end.

 

[AGTtactical]

Thank you all!