AHHHHHH!!! BEES!!!!

[Dan Fromm]

Ron, many of the bees you call bumblebees are probably carpenter bees.

[Photo Engineer]

I'm not arguing Dan, just explaining.

PE

[Diapositivo]

Hairy = Bumblebee;
Not Hairy (bold) = Carpenter bee;

Carpenter bees are only blackish;
Bumblebees can be blackish or yellow-striped or whatever.

To know if the big buzzing black insect is a carpenter bee or a bumblebee as far as I know it's the "fur" which is decisive. Not an entomologist, the mileage of your bee can vary.

[Photo Engineer]

Lots of fur! Black and yellow stripes!

You all can argue about color differences. Wikipedia says they are all black and yellow.

PE

[Dan Fromm]

You're not explaining, Ron, you're arguing. Here's an explanation: http://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/d...etsbrocure.pdf

[Sirius Glass]

I believe PE is correct and he is referring to the Bombus pennsylvanicus. Ref: http://www.bumblebee.org/NorthAmerica.htm

Bene Nota:PE is not referring to the infamous magenta carpenters bees! :wink: :wink: :nudge: :nudge:

[Diapositivo]

Jee the names of some those insects are really nice:
Bombus fraternus (fraternal)
Bombus perplexus (perplexed?! maybe the classifier was perplexed in classifying it)
Bombus vagans (going round, wandering)
Bombus frigidus (cold or even "frigid")

PS Bombus pennsylvanicus cannot be confused with a carpenter bee because the latter would have a totally black abdomen, besides being "hairless". PE observed lots of fur, yellow and black, so they must have been bumblebees.

[Photo Engineer]

All I said was that mine were black and yellow and fuzzy! I don't care what they are really, but from childhood I was taught to cal them bumblebees.

All I care about is their absence!

PE

[lxdude]

I believe PE is correct and he is referring to the Bombus pennsylvanicus. Ref: http://www.bumblebee.org/NorthAmerica.htm

I notice from that site that one of the bees native to here is called Bombus crotchii.

Great. Flying crotch bombs.