3 carpenter bees on Asclepias tuberosa (Page 2): Look at the photo carefully. You'll see the very small tool belts with very small carpenter tools. Nah, just kidding.

St.Mary's

Look at the photo carefully. You'll see the very small tool belts with very small carpenter tools. Nah, just kidding.

skylinefirepest Loc: Southern Pines, N.C.

I saw that but then they could have been plumbers??

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

foathog wrote:

notice the pollen sac on one of them. click on the pic to zoom in after you D/L it

Very nice. Perhaps, though, those are bumble bees - carpenter bees have shiny abdomens, while bumble bees are fuzzy - https://www.rescue.com/latest-buzz/helpful-hints/how-to-tell-a-carpenter-bee-from-a-bumble-bee/.

skylinefirepest Loc: Southern Pines, N.C.

DWU2...these absolutely have the "shiny hiney" and none of them have the very noticeable yellow spot.

MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"

Great shot, terrific detail,
However, are you sure they are Carpenter bees? I was to understand that type of bee does not collect pollen, but burrows into wood instead - hence the name.

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

I do not believe they are carpenter bees.

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

Retired CPO wrote:

Very nice. Very sharp! I like these a lot. What lens are you using? I want one of those!!

Chief, you already have a lens that will take very sharp shots. Have you tried out your Tamron 180mm macro yet?

St.Mary's

skylinefirepest;; Or worse yet, IT bees.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

Retired CPO wrote:

Very nice. Very sharp! I like these a lot. What lens are you using? I want one of those!!

Although I shot it with an R5 I used the EF 100MM macro 2.8L. I just started using the R5 and, after struggling a little at first, I'm getting the gist of it.

Bubalola Loc: Big Apple, NY

foathog wrote:

notice the pollen sac on one of them. click on the pic to zoom in after you D/L it

WoW!

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

DWU2 wrote:

Very nice. Perhaps, though, those are bumble bees - carpenter bees have shiny abdomens, while bumble bees are fuzzy - https://www.rescue.com/latest-buzz/helpful-hints/how-to-tell-a-carpenter-bee-from-a-bumble-bee/.

Ok. I'm not an entomologist. LOL. I didn't check it out I know we have problems with carpenter bees here and I thought that bumble bees were in trouble along with some other insects. Well we have PLENTY of them here then.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

Retired CPO wrote:

Very nice. Very sharp! I like these a lot. What lens are you using? I want one of those!!

Keep in mind that I'm using a 45MP camera as well.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

St.Mary's wrote:

Look at the photo carefully. You'll see the very small tool belts with very small carpenter tools. Nah, just kidding.

LOL

niteman3d Loc: South Central Pennsylvania, USA

On my first visit to the thread, I didn't really notice or it just didn't register that in the title you called these carpenter bees. I have to agree that they're *not* based on your own evidence. Carpenter bees don't have pollen baskets. Also, they don't have hairy butts and they're more social, so seeing a group like this indicates bumble bees to me. Given a choice, I would choose bumblebees anyway as they don't eat your house to build a nest.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

niteman3d wrote:

On my first visit to the thread, I didn't really notice or it just didn't register that in the title you called these carpenter bees. I have to agree that they're *not* based on your own evidence. Carpenter bees don't have pollen baskets. Also, they don't have hairy butts and they're more social, so seeing a group like this indicates bumble bees to me. Given a choice, I would choose bumblebees anyway as they don't eat your house to build a nest.

you might have known I would have "bumbled" it.