California Carpenter Bee, Close to You..

The bee looks dangerous :O
That black thing also looks dangerous :O what is it ?

Brilliant capture Hollywood could make a horror film of these lol

It must be the Queen Bee. Queens are much larger than the drones. She wants to start building her nest.

That's my 35mm camera lens cap. That Bee looks half that if you sort of flattened him out.
Its a male bee,the females are all black and this species is the only bee species to have sexual dimorphism. Interestingly, only the females can sting. The males have no stingers.
Its a native bee,but the first time I've seen one. 'Close to Youuuuu"..

Further research: Its actually the VALLEY Carpenter Bee. Why its in coastal Carpenter bee territory is a mystery. Inland it gets hot in summer where this bee and spiders like Black Widow thrive. No black widows in the bay area.

Usually the queens are out to gather the pollen and nectar to start their brood going at the beginning of the year. We have seen some large bumble bees about.