Sambac, I had a "swarm" 10 times that size last year in one of my oak trees. We were very concerned because my husband is very allergic to bees. I found some local bee-keepers on the web and they came over to educate us on honey bees. The air was abuzz within hundreds of feet from the tree but the bees just went on their merry way, threatening no one. It was something I will remember forever, truly an awesome sight!!! I traded the beekeepers some tomato plants for their wisdom and time and am even considering setting up some hives in my yard-fresh honey! With all the bad-stuff going on out there-consider yourself lucky!!

Um, no. That would be a droplet of the sweet solution I dropped into the bottle. :) PA It wound up a VERY dark blackish bodied bee with narrow yellow/gold stripes crosswise and two bronze patches under the wing base...not the usual honeybee here. And what about the tiny antennae? I'm so confuzzed! :)

Well honey bees mate in the AIR so I don`t know what you saw!!

Thanks BN. I think you're right. I thought it looked different from the regular ruby-throated females I photographed in Summer.