J, I can see how you might get a face full-o-wasp on a windy day. In my experience they are usually pretty focused on feeding when that's what they're doing and they get right back to it if disturbed a little--still though, my face might be a little leery of getting in your waspville
In watching the wool carder bees' escapades in the catmint,
I have decided that the males are seriously randy little buggers.
I have read that they can be aggressive toward other bees--there were even some wild stories of them killing honey bees. I have seen them pounce on the honey bees on rare occasion, like they do the girl carder bees, but the honey bees are not at all interested in that and shake them off and get on with their business. Aside from their aggressive, and persistent, mating obsession, I have only seen the males go after other carder bee males. And they definitely leave the bumblebees alone.
female finding another flower in a moment of peace
male taking a break
I had thought these were some kind of fancy native bees, but they are a fairly recent introduction from Europe
