Close Encounter of the Buzzing Kind

You know I would never get this close to bees if I weren't a sucker for a good photo op. The lavender in my garden is blooming like crazy. The herbs--except for the basil--adore this hot, dry weather. Seems the bees like it, too. Better that they pollinate the lavender than drill holes in my porch. If anyone has ideas about how to discourage carpenter bees, let me know.