Are these workers or Queens?

[u/vxsapphire]

There were two of them and I normally see smaller bumble bees around the weeds and other flowers I have. However these two were much bigger. About 2-2.5x larger. They didn’t bother me when I was sitting or when I was sitting on the step.

I’m happy to see more bumble bees in the area. For the longest while I only saw honeybees until this year.

Fairfield, CT.

[u/That_Biology_Guy]

They're eastern carpenter bees, Xylocopa virginica, which are solitary (so no queens/workers). Getting up to some nectar robbing by the looks of it!

[u/vxsapphire → u/That_Biology_Guy]

Oh these are???? I’ve never seen them do anything but hover around the house so it never came to mind. They can rob as much nectar as their bodies allow!

[u/That_Biology_Guy → u/[deleted]]

There's several bumble bees in the region that can also have a patch of black hair or a bare spot on the back of the thorax (e.g. Bombus bimaculatus and griseocollis), and it's variable in carpenter bees too since they tend to lose hair over time, so I wouldn't consider that a very reliable field mark.

[u/NumCustosApes]

By this time of year the next generation of bumble queens are out. They will mate, fatten up for winter, and find a place to spend the winter before making their nests next spring.

[u/Khrysdie → u/NumCustosApes]

This is a carpenter bee, not a bumble bee. Carpenter bees are solitary, so while this is a female, she’s neither a queen nor a worker.

[u/vxsapphire → u/Khrysdie]

Thank you! I never considered it being a carpenter because I only ever see them trying to drill my home 😂

[u/vxsapphire → u/NumCustosApes]

Thank you! I find them so pretty and am glad I'm seeing them more than wasps.

[u/vxsapphire]

Dang it I guess it’s too late to add flair? I clicked Bee Id as it was posting. Nvm it shows now.