This guy is a little un-nerving.
I am not in the least afriad of bees. Spiders I enjoy watching as well .
But this guy is e-e-erie
It is HUGE!!! FAT really, NO FUZZ?? nearly all shiny black....one yellow dot( which might be fuzzy ) between it's eyes(I am assuming it has an eye on each side of the dot, but can not get THAT close) .
It hovers like a helicopter and rotates to LOOK at me
( while hovering ) I feel like it is SIZING me up. If I take a step closer it will BUZZ away and retun in an instant to hover and watch me some more. It has not behaved with aggression at all but then I am not threatening it.
You've described perfectly the appearance and the funny behavior of the male carpenter bee. I get a huge kick out of them, too. When my husband and I sit outside on the patio, I feel like we have a guest with us.
The male carpenter bees are very territorial, but their threats are empty ones. They cannot sting.
