Bumblebees
| Size | ¾” – 1” |
| Body | Large, fuzzy, and yellow |
| Legs | 6 |
| Antennae | Yes |
| Stinger | Queen and female workers do, but males do not. It is smooth and can be used more than once |
Habitat:
- Prefer to nest in the ground with the entire, large colony using a single hole for entrance
- They can nest in soffits or attics as well and are often seen around decks or patios
Habits:
- Males do not have a stinger but they will chase intruders as they defend their nests
- They are often clumsy-looking as they fly
- The stinger on the females is smooth and is very painful
- One of the best pollinators
Check out their Habits and Habitat here.
Carpenter Bees
| Size | Large, ½ ” – 1” |
| Color | Mostly black with white or yellow face (males) |
| Body | Shiny, hairless abdomen |
| Legs | 6 with yellowish hairs |
| Antennae | Yes |
| Stinger | Females have a stinger, but males do not |
Habitat:
- Excavated tunnels in soft, untreated or weathered wood
- Enter into tunnels through round holes bored into the wood
Habits:
- They do not live in nests and colonies, instead hibernate in nest tunnels in winter
- Not really aggressive unless provoked
- Males appear aggressive, but do not have stingers
- Solitary, unlike other bees
Check out their Habits and Habitat here.
Honeybees
| Size | 1/2″ |
| Color | Golden brown and black thorax with orange or yellow bands on the abdomen |
| Body | Fuzzy thorax with a shiny, striped abdomen |
| Legs | 6 |
| Antennae | Yes |
| Stinger | Female workers have a barbed stinger |
Habitat:
- Hollow spaces that allow them to build the internal hive
- Each colony has one queen, hundreds of male drones, and thousands of female worker bees
Habits:
- Only sting when provoked, but are otherwise not aggressive
- Each worker is able to pollinate 50-100 flowers on each trip
- The communicate through scent and dancing
- The colony lays dormant during the winter
Check out their Habits and Habitat here.
Miner Bees
| Size | ½” – 2/3” |
| Color | Black head with red-orange thorax and abdomen |
| Body | Small, stout and furry |
| Legs | 6, black, furry |
| Antennae | Yes |
| Stinger | Yes, but very small |
Habitat
- Individual burrows in the ground that look like ant hills
- Soft or sandy soils preferred for tunneling
Habits
- Not social, live in individual holes in the ground
- Not aggressive, but can sting if provoked
Check out their Habits and Habitat here.
