No, not the "violent" carpenter bee! A gentle giant, this bee is extra large and as big as any bumblebee around.
Contest Time!
Please comment below with an interesting fact or information related to carpenter bees! Bonus points if related specifically to Xylocopa violacea, but if you start from the following "rabbit hole" and comment with something interesting you found, you just might be the big winner:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_bee
Important Update May 2024!
The grand prize winner is in the comments section below, Taylor had some very fun facts! This contest is currently OPEN to all subscribers, simply make sure you're subscribed to the newsletter and have a customer account to enter so we can send you your coins! Limited to one entry per customer, please let us know what you find, in your own words, we can't wait to see what you dig up 💗
Prizes 💰
- all contest entrants receive 30 Buzz Coins on their customer account (please include you email so we know which account is yours!)
- whoever gets in first with their comment wins an additional 30 coins 😍
- the contest winner receives 300 coins instead
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please enter by the leap day! 🐸 (hopping your way Feb 29th 2024)note: contest deadline is now extended
2 comments
Carpenter Bees are one of the largest solitary bees in Europe, but according to a 2022 paper (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590171022000273), their venom is under-studied compared to parasitic wasps, bumblebees, and honeybees. The 2022 study claims to be the first in-depth study of the microbiological components of xylocopa violacea venom, but did you know one of the first scientific observations of Carpenter Bee venom in Europe comes from an 1865 account of a poisoned bird succumbing to the venom over the course of a few hours. Grim, but a good reminder to be friendly to carpenter bees. They’re just trying to hone their trade and build thier homes!
Xylocopa violacea Is very rare and one of the largest bees in Europe. It’s a gentle bee, but will sting if provoked.