These large bees are not bumble bees, though they do make a loud buzzing sound. And while they are large in size, only the females have a stinger and they are very reluctant to sting. These are bees you should try to attract to your yard.
|male valley carpenter bee|
|female valley carpenter bee|
|female valley carpenter bee arriving at nest tunnel|
We regularly see several females and an occasional golden-colored male in our garden. They usually follow a regular schedule, visiting specific parts of the yard at the same time each day.
This spring for the first time, I saw two males at the same time. The males were wrestling mid-air struggling over territory. In the end, one of them went off to find a different location.
I love seeing these big bees in the garden. They are gatherers of abundance, yet they are also vital philanthropists spreading pollen as the foundation of tomorrow's garden.
Plants for native bees:
small bracted dayflower (Commelina erecta)
giant coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea)