Posts Tagged: male carpenter bee

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Touchdown!

Insects love the lavender.

Think honey bees, syrphids, and carpenter bees.

The noisiest are the male carpenter bees. They buzz the lavender looking for females and then touch down for the nectar. They're quick, territorial, aggressive and noisy.

We see carpenter bees buzzing the garden as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 7:30 p.m.

The male carpenter bees, like drone honey bees, are all bluff and bluster. Only the females sting.

Feet First

FEET FIRST--A male carpenter bee glides in for a landing on lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Nectaring Lavender

MALE CARPENTER BEE nectars lavender. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 6:01 PM

Comments: 0

Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey

Tags: feet first (1), lavender (1), male carpenter bee (1)