I think its more the first line of defense, they are not there to kill, they are there to basically state I don’t want you here without provoking a lethal response from whoever is encroaching on them. It causes a lot less death of their males since they are known that they are not a threat, reducing the overall attrition of them over time and making life easier on the hive.
The females with the stingers come out if something is a real threat, ie something messes with the hive or queen.
Honestly, kinda reminds me of British (and other non-militarized) police. Don’t send guns to every problem as most can be solved without it and some are made worse by their presence.
I think its more the first line of defense, they are not there to kill, they are there to basically state I don’t want you here without provoking a lethal response from whoever is encroaching on them. It causes a lot less death of their males since they are known that they are not a threat, reducing the overall attrition of them over time and making life easier on the hive. The females with the stingers come out if something is a real threat, ie something messes with the hive or queen.
Honestly, kinda reminds me of British (and other non-militarized) police. Don’t send guns to every problem as most can be solved without it and some are made worse by their presence.
Carpenter bees are mostly solitary.
That would explain their reluctance to do suicide attacks when protecting themselves.