Carpenter Bees

Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa spp)

Similar in appearance to Bumble bees, but the abdomen is 'naked', not covered in hair. Generally considered to be non-aggresive, but during the spring, males are known to 'buzz' you if you get too close to galleries. Carpenter bees are solitary, with each female provisioning a gallery that she bores into wood. (image courtesy of University of Florida Entomology & Nematology Dept)