My wife and I saw a large yellow bumble bee hovering in our plum tree in san Jose, CA on Sunday march 23rd. I noticed him hovering because the sound he made was so loud that while was gardening I couldn't ignore him. I went to investigate the buzzing sound and the eyes of this beautiful bee kept staring at me. It was as if he was staring me down, but he remained docile and very pretty pollinating my plum tree.

I saw this bee for the first time recently in my garden June 21st in San Jose near Kooser & Meridian. It was early morning and he was enjoying an onion flower. I was amazed at his size and beauty. I have seen the all black Carpenter Bees often in my garden. I am also seeing some new birds this year.

I stumbled across this picture and thread as I just saw one of these bees in my own yard in San Jose. I'm at Kooser & Joseph just a couple of blocks from Meridian. 2012 these guys are still around!

It was so odd that I had to look it up. It was all golden. My son and a neighbor kid were playing on a slip and slide in the back yard and the bumble bee came in for a drink I suppose. We helped him go on his way. We are in Sacramento County.

I agree , this bee is beautiful . It has been identified as a male carpenter bee and the female of the species is all black . The scientific name is Xylocopa varipuncta

Although I once lived in the Sacramento Valley, I never saw these there. Now I live in Tucson, Arizona. We have no real bumblebees, but lots of "black bumblebees" which are carpenter bees. They like to tunnel into dried stalks of palm flowers. In the spring I sometimes see these golden drones. They are very busy and loud. I've never seen one land on anything. I did not connect them to the female carpenter bees until I accessed this site. Apparently the males are stingless. You'd have to crush a female to get her to sting, they are not at all aggressive.

For the past 5 years or so, when flowers start to bloom, at first one then two will fly around my front yard but never land, as though they are scouting or staking a claim. Now I look forward to their arrival, and they just came today, 4/1/11. Spring is really here now. Hollywood, CA.

Last year was the first time I have ever took notice of this particular bee. I am certain I had never seen it before (and I dig bugs). It was really one of those "WTF?" insect moments. And I am born and raised So Cal.

Well, they sure love the CA native shrub, White Flowered Mtn. Lilac. (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus Snow Flurry). They go bezerko for the white flower clusters. This bears mentioning as I grow a quite number of different lilacs. So again this year (just yesterday) one saunters over the garden wall. He looked like a big gold nugget with wings. Again, straight to the white flowered lilac (as opposed to blue blooming varieties (Frosty Blue or Santa Barbara Mountain Lilac)). I had no idea he was a drone Carpenter bee. I thought maybe he was a black bee so completely body-doused in pollen that he appeared yellow. But then I got close. Wild.

So a male Carpenter bee? Too cool. I just wish he would hold still for enough time to allow me get a pic. Always moving. Hope I see more.

I saw one today, 24APR11, in San Jose. We have many of the females that get into some kudzu that has taken over the back yard, but I have never seen these before. The folks who have managed to get the photos have my respect and the bee seems to be a constant motion machine.

We had one in our nectarine tree this afternoon. I too agree, getting a picture of this very active guy was more than I could capture. He was very active, very aware of his surroundings, but really seemed to like my tree at least for the afternoon.