Different Types of Bees: How Can You Tell the Difference?

Honey Bee

Carpenter Bee

Killer Bee

Mason Bee

Ground Bee

There are over twenty thousand different types of bees so it’s really not possible to know them all!  But you can tell the difference in some common kinds –by simply by observing bees you will begin to definitely see some of the different personality traits and social characteristics.  In this article however, we will go through some of the different types of bees and just how to identify some of them. 

We all have heard of bumble bees and if you do not know what they look like, you should definitely look at your garden in the spring time.  Bumble bees are the bees that are big, black and yellow and hairy!  There are over two hundred different kinds of bumble bees, but you will definitely be able to identify this bee by the fact that it is big and hairy and no other bee fits that description.   

Honey bees are another common type of bees and they are generally known for their interesting hive.  However, if you are just out and about one day and looking at all of the different types of bees, there is no way for you to identify a honey bee by its hive so you need something else to go on.  Well, honey bees are generally black with a brown-yellow center.  They are extremely social in nature as they live in large colonies. They tend to be non-aggressive unless really bothered.   

Carpenter bees are a little trickier to tell the difference but if you see a bee that is metal-like, black in color with no yellow marks at all?  Then you likely have yourself a carpenter bee!  These bees are not social in nature and cannot prepare any wax at all.  They actually just travel from flower to flower by themselves and while they can travel long distances, these bees tend to like to be alone. They care called carpenter bees because they make a solitary hole in wood to live in.  

There are even some ground bees!  These bees are, you guessed it!  Bees that dig in the ground!  Ground bees, also dubbed ‘mining bees’ actually dig tunnels under the ground with the aim of providing a sort of shelter for their progeny, so if you have a well-shaded area that has some loose soil, you better watch out, these bees might dig their nest in there.  These bees are all black in color, very small in size and have quite the stinger on them.  

So as you can see, there are many, many different types of bees and while it is not all that hard to tell the different types, it is definitely something that you will need practice at.  When you are trying to identify bees, there are a few things that you should look for.  One, you should look at the coloring of the bee itself.  There are all different color bees and you should definitely be paying attention to that.  Next, you want to make sure that you pay attention to the social behavior of the bees.  This is a great way to tell if the bee is going to harm you, usually bees who seem more concentrated on the flowers than the area around them are not going to harm you. 

• Facts About Bees
• Missing Bees
• About Bumble Bees
• About Honey Bees
• About Killer Bees
• About Carpenter Bees
• About Mason Bees
• About Ground Bees