Often seen these huge bees buzzing around making a noise like a demented chainsaw and scaring the life out of people.
And always wondered what they were and if they sting but no-one ever seemed to know what they were, apart from ‘big’, and even less were willing to find out if they have a powerful sting.
Well, from what I can find out, they are Carpenter Bees, also known as Mijas Bees in some parts of Spain. Maybe around Mijas? Just a guess, that. They tend to nest in wood, dry or rotten preferably.
The male has no sting but the female packs a punch similar to that of a Honey Bee but will only sting when extremely riled. Otherwise they tend to hover and buzz loudly when disturbed, hoping to scare anyone away by their size.