BigBendFishing.Net

Living in the south all of my life quite familiar with most of our bees/wasps... paper wasps, types of hornets, yellow jackets, and daubers all are normally easy for me to identify but for last few years have seen what look like daubers massing up on one of my eaves (and in the exact same location) each summer evening. Garage is full of dauber tubes and I've always thought of them as solitary bees, but these bees massing at one of our eaves are black and very close to the same size as daubers (just a bit smaller than bigger red wasps). I've actually sprayed them when they're massed up and it will dent their numbers for a while but never seems to kill the whole group (guessing they've got a nest up in the eave out of the spraying path).

Any amateur entomologist on the board who can tell me what type bee I'm describing? As much as they look like daubers just wondering how a solitary creature would mass up like these are. Just seeking to satisfy my curiosity.

JUST KEEP SPRAYING THEM EVERYDAY AT SUNDOWN OR SUNUP WITH ONE OF THOSE LONG DISTANCE WASP SPRAY CANS, YOU WILL GET'EM ALL IN ABOUT 3-4 DAYS.
PA
SEMPER FI

It's called a "Blackie Lawless." Hope that helps......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsoLb-E7oy8[/video]

Take a photo of one close up and we will consult

Nice Tom; love the W.A.S.P. reference. I should have seen that coming.

Salty Gator wrote:Nice Tom; love the W.A.S.P. reference. I should have seen that coming.

Yeah, BBG was a big fan back in the day.....then he went all "clean cut" and got a real job

Interesting! I've not seen any like that.

Could be Carpenter Bees!! You better run!!! They will bite you.

WATCH OUT FOR THOSE CARPENTER BEES, THEY WILL EAT YOUR HOUSE DOWN.
PA
SEMPER FI

Dolphinatic, you just ain't right! And specifically speaking to the "clean cut" comment, I was clean cut well before any job OR the Corps... can't swear on the exact date of the procedure but think it was either my first or second day out of the womb.

Bman, even though I know your comment's a smartazz one here's your close up pic as requested... taken about a foot away with me putting life and limb at risk by standing on a brick wall to take it. And on a serious note, DEFINITELY NOT carpenter bees, paper or red wasps. Abdomen is strongly pinched/slender just like daubers and much like daubers they didn't seem too bothered with me getting right up on them. I got a PILE of mud tubes in my garage only a few feet away so just wondering if these are males or females roosting each night at this locale out of the tubes? And seriously, each and every year they pick this EXACT same spot to congregate night after night. While up close to them, I watched to see if they were going on up into the eave but didn't appear so... just seems like this is their evening chillaxin spot... And Dolphinatic, do have to admit upon taking a closer look at 'em they do resemble them gals in the video you shared.

I often have those get under our picnic table in much the same manner. I have yet to be stung by one so I am not sure of their aggressiveness. In the instances that I have stirred them up (on accident of course), it seems that their primary concern is getting back to that spot -- perhaps explaining your comment on them hanging at that same spot. Google "Great Black Wasp" and I think you will have your culprit.

I've had several heards of them gather in places on my daughters play gym thing in the yard. All I know is they die just like the rest when you spray-em.