What Kind of Bee Do You See? Your Ultimate Bee Identification Guide
Bees are hardworking pollinators that add so many benefits to your garden––as well as 80% of the food we eat! You can usually tell a bee by the stripes on their body, and that familiar buzz we all know too well. Even though there are approximately 20,000 different bee species, you’re probably only familiar with four or five. So, what’s the difference between all of these different types of bees?
Keep reading to learn how to identify those buzzing bees in your yard.
What Stung Me? It Probably Wasn’t a Bee
All U.S. native bees and honeybees (which are not native to North America) are capable of stinging. However, exciting a bee to the point of stinging would require extreme measures like destroying a hive or accidentally stepping on a bee. Bees truly are not that interested in you, and typically don’t want to waste time stinging you.
To understand why most bees don’t sting, it’s important that we understand the different behaviors of different types of bees. Here are a few bees you might come across in your garden, no matter where you live in the continental United States.
The Western Honeybee (Apis Mellifera)
Who they are:
The honeybee is world famous because most people can easily tell a honeybee apart from a bumblebee or a wasp. Honeybees have a very distinguishable body that features a golden brown abdomen with black abdominal stripes. Most honeybees are female workers, and if you look close enough you can normally see pollen on their legs from a long day’s work.
In the United States, most honeybees are found in artificial hives built by professional beekeepers. You will rarely find a honeybee in its natural habitat.
Do they pollinate?
Yes. Honeybees pollinate a wide range of plants, including artificial crops like almonds.
Do they sting?
Like other bees, honeybees will only sting you if wildly provoked. This rare occurrence is due to the fact that a honeybee’s stinger is connected to its digestive tract. So, when a honeybee stings you, it quite literally rips her guts out.
How can I get rid of them?
Since honeybees are endangered, it’s important that you don’t disturb a hive, or take matters into your own hands by harming the bees. We recommend contacting a local beekeeper to efficiently get rid of a swarm––with no destruction or harm done to the bees.
The Bumblebee (genus: Bombus)
Who they are:
There are 49 species of bumblebee native to the United States, according to the U.S. Forest Service. These bees, similar to honeybees, have alternating stripes; however, instead of golden brown coloring, bumblebees are black and yellow. Oftentimes bee novices will confuse a bumblebee for a carpenter bee. The way to tell the difference? Carpenter bees are much larger than the humble bumblebee. Another distinction between the carpenter bee and the bumblebee is the amount of hair on their abdomens.
Do they pollinate?
Yes. Bumblebees pollinate a wide variety of wildflowers. Often you’ll see female workers gathering pollen to bring back to their hives in the ground.
Do they sting?
They can sting, but will likely not take the time to react unless you get too close to their nest.
How can I get rid of them?
Bumblebees are non-aggressive bees that tend to form small colonies with just a few dozen bees. We recommend you avoid killing them, as their native species is already in decline.
However, you can create a repellant spray with two parts vinegar and water.
Next time you see a bumblebee, get up close, and study it. We promise it won’t sting you––it’s more interested in pollinating that flower over there.
The Carpenter Bee (genus: Xylocopa)
Who they are:
Perhaps the bee with the worst reputation is the carpenter bee, also known as the wood bee. This poor reputation comes from the seemingly destructive nature of the carpenter bee and its natural inclination to drill holes into wood to create safe places to keep their young.
Unfortunately, the wooden surfaces that a carpenter bee is likely to make its home in, is in the foundation of your home. Many people find carpenter bees destructive: a great way to deter them is to cover your wood with sealant, or better yet, paint.
Do they pollinate?
Despite their destructive tendencies, carpenter bees are excellent pollinators. According to the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, carpenter bees contribute so much to the environment, that their destructive tendencies pale in comparison to their pollinating abilities.
Do they sting?
Females can sting in self defense, but will likely avoid it. Males, on the other hand, do not have the ability to sting.
How can I get rid of them?
As with most bees, it’s best to leave carpenter bees alone rather than trying to evict them. They may get in your face on occasion (if you get too close) but they’re unlikely to sting. We recommend you buy sealant or paint to cover the holes on your outside structure, play loud music near their nests (the vibrations will chase them out), or spray a citrus repellent.
The Mason Bee (genus: Osmia)
These metallic, fast-flying bees have the agility of a tiny fighter jet with vibrant colors of blue, green, and black. Instead of carrying pollen on their legs, they carry pollen on the underside of their abdomens.
Mason bees are most active in the spring and get their name from using mud to close nest cavities. In nature, they may look for a hollowed-out stem or twig.
If you’re looking to attract mason bees into your garden, you can do so by providing a bee hotel for your six-legged friends to live.
Do they pollinate?
Yes. Mason bees visit a variety of flowers, often focusing on those nearest to their nest. The blue orchard mason bee is a productive pollinator of spring-flowering fruit and nut trees.
Do they sting?
Mason bees are even more docile than honeybees, and rarely will sting unless they absolutely have to due to rough handling or entrapment.
How can I get rid of them?
Mason bees are not aggressive, and their nesting causes minimal damage to lawns or gardens. So, getting rid of mason bees is rarely necessary. If you’re interested in a lawn free of mason bees, we recommend maintaining a dense turf, and using mulch to cover bare spots to prevent mason bee nesting activity.
The Blueberry Bee (Habropoda laboriosa, Southeastern blueberry bee)
Blueberry bees are about the size of a honeybee but have hair patterns and banding that make them look very similar to a bumblebee or carpenter bee. These bees have evolved with native blueberries, and fit perfectly into bell-shaped blueberry flowers.
Do they pollinate?
Yes. Though named for their affinity for blueberries, blueberry bees pollinate a variety of flowers that bloom in the spring––including Carolina jessamine, oaks and redbuds––although they may be less efficient pollinators than some bees.
Do they sting?
Similar to every bee mentioned thus far, blueberry bees are naturally docile and will only sting as a last resort.
How can I get rid of them?
There really are no reasons to get rid of these bees, as they cause minimal damage to your yard. However, we recommend taking the same approach as you would with mason bees, and reducing the abundance of dry, exposed soils where they like to nest.
The Sweat Bees (various genera)
Sweat bees are part of a large group of bees that are only a quarter of the size of a honeybee. These bees are attracted to human perspiration, hence the name sweat bee. Instead of making their grand arrivals in the spring like most bees, sweat bees are active throughout spring and into later months of fall, including October and November.
Because of their size, sweat bees are attracted to small flowers such as fall-blooming asters of the Southeast. They range in color from black to metallic blues and greens, with copper and blue overtones.
Do they pollinate?
Yes. Sweat bees are generalist pollinators that visit a wide variety of flowering plants.
Do they sting?
Female sweat bees are capable of stinging but are not aggressive, therefore they normally do not sting.
How can I get rid of them?
Sweat bees are part of another group of bees that are beneficial to your garden and cause minimal damage to your property. Again, if you want to keep sweat bees out of your yard, make sure you cover your yard with vegetation to prevent bare spots for nesting.
Do you have these fuzzy, striped friends buzzing around in your yard? Do they bother you, or are you wanting to relocate them? If so, we can put together a pest control treatment plan to get rid of bees and still preserve the integrity of your yard and garden. Call Vulcan Pest Control & Termite today!