wasp or bee

[herbs28]

Good morning bee friends.

Could someone help me identify this chap please? He lives in my cavity wall with quite a lot of friends. Looks like a wasp to me, but if it's not I may let them stay.

Not the best photo, back end looks darker than what i would call a standard wasp.

http://imgur.com/sjnkm6U

Thanks

 

[Davelin]

Not a wasp

Looks like some kind of mason bee to me. Shouldn't cause you any problem.

 

[MuswellMetro]

could it be a black mongrel honeybee?

 

[herbs28]

Thank you. They don't often come in the house so I'll leave them to it. Would be interesting to know more so I'll add a better picture when the next one comes in.

 

[sharonh]

Not a wasp anyway. Try to get a better picture if you can.

 

[MuswellMetro]

do they have pollen sac on their back legs?

 

[wessexmario]

looks like a bee to me, the biggest giveaway is the all over 'bad hair day' fuzz (zoom in), wasps tend to be smooth. That one is very similar to the dark colouring of my own colonies.

the question reminded me of this which attempts to answer it:
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8180403200/h54034E29/

 

[Ely]

looks like a bee to me, the biggest giveaway is the all over 'bad hair day' fuzz (zoom in), wasps tend to be smooth. That one is very similar to the dark colouring of my own colonies.

the question reminded me of this which attempts to answer it:
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/8180403200/h54034E29/

Funny picture. To be honest though, the more I learn about wasps, the more respect I have for them. They are just as fascinating and useful as honey bees. I think the only creatures on this earth that are pointless arseholes are the ones on Jeremy Kyle.

 

[herbs28]

Some slightly better ones from yesterday
http://m.imgur.com/kqHMUpv
http://m.imgur.com/VibeYiL
http://m.imgur.com/RovwsDP

 

[Davelin]

Pretty certain it is a communal mining bee Andrena Carantonica.

Doesn't sting, does no damage to your building, surprisingly late in the year to be around still, but it's been that kind of year.

 

[masterBK]

Not Andrena carantonica as it isn't hairy enough.

Just checked the pattern of the wing venation from the 1st photo against a series of wing maps in old book that I have (Bees, wasps, Ants and allied insects of the British Isles by Edward Step) Wing venation in other species of bee in UK Andrena, Colletes, Halictus, Dasypoda, Anthoptera, Osmia etc all very different from this . Surprise, surprise checked it against Apis mellifera and it is indeed Apis mellifera!

 

[MuswellMetro]

ok, so if we all agree the are the Honey bee Apis mellifera what does the OP want to do?

They will live there for several years but can issue quite large swarms every year

if he want them removed it can be expensive and if they are to be killed then it needs to be done professionally or you can end up with quite large fines

 

[alfazer]

OP said if not wasps then he'll let them stay. And they aren't wasps so......

 

[Jost Zmajevic]

If you ask me this is Carniolan honey bee (Apis Mellifera Carnica ) from Europe.

Good morning bee friends.

Could someone help me identify this chap please? He lives in my cavity wall with quite a lot of friends. Looks like a wasp to me, but if it's not I may let them stay.

Not the best photo, back end looks darker than what i would call a standard wasp.

http://imgur.com/sjnkm6U

Thanks

 

[masterBK]

As a former Biology lecturer I must be pedantic and point out that it is
Apis mellifera carnica (ie lower case 1st letter of species and subspecies name)
Having said that I'm not sure it is. Perhaps a BIBBA man can check the cubical index

 

[MuswellMetro]

As a former Biology lecturer I must be pedantic and point out that it is
Apis mellifera carnica (ie lower case 1st letter of species and subspecies name)
Having said that I'm not sure it is. Perhaps a BIBBA man can check the cubical index

I am more worried that the Beekeepers on the forum at first did not think it was a honey Bee, what do they keep ? wasps LOL, Their posts made me doubt my own judgement, until you looked at the wing venation

I would have got a slap with a ruler from my biology teacher writing Apis mellifera carnica, it would have had to have been Apis mellifera carnica or Apis mellifera carnica

 

[bontbee]