By Erin Marissa Russell
Did you know there are lots of different kinds of bees that may confabulate your garden ? We ’ll explicate the divergence between these bee varieties and tell you how to identify them .
Africanized Bee
These are the bees that sometimes get called “ killer bees ” because they are so defensive of their territory . Africanized bee come from a cross between the Western Apis mellifera and the east African lowland Apis mellifera . These bee have migrated from South America gradually northerly , which is why you’re able to now find Africanized bees in the southern part of the United States .
It can be unmanageable to identify Africanized bees for sure because they look so similar to European Apis mellifera . ( Africanized bees are just a little little than European honeybees , however . ) Instead , you could rely on demeanor to identify Africanized bees .
Once an Africanized bee has been disturb , it can continue to be belligerent for half an hour . They may also attack without there seeming to be a reason . While all bees will defend their nest and settlement , Africanized bee are more potential to be territorial and attack people .
Africanized bee are , of course , capable of pollinating plants . However , because they are so territorial , they are considered invasive and should not be boost as pollinators .
The sting of an Africanized bee is not any more unspeakable than other bee stings . However , Africanized bees sometimes gather in horde made up of lots of the insects . Being twinge by multiple bee from a cloud can leave in death . Over 1,000 masses have died after being prick by Africanized bee .
Blueberry Bee
Blueberry bees are good pollinators for all kinds of flowering plant , though their deary is rabbiteye blueberries . ( That ’s why they ’re called blueberry bush bee . ) Rabbiteye blueberry bush plants need bombilation pollination , which comes not just from a pollinating worm but from one that vibrates , like the blueberry bee . These bees are also known for pollinating horn flowers . You will only see blueberry bee about their business at the get-go of spring .
Blueberry bees wait similar to a small bumblebee , with a larger head on their shortened , rounded bodies . Most of the blueberry bush bee ’s body is dark brown , with golden brown coloring on the top of its headway .
Blueberry bees do not travel in swarm or nest in groups . distaff blueberry bees build underground nests that will be located near the nest of other blueberry bush bees . Because these bee do not have a colony to fight , they do n’t sting unless handled .
Box-Headed Blood Bee
boxful - head origin bee get the “ blood ” in their name from the deep red color of their abdominal area . These bees are medium to large . Females are larger than males , which have less red coloring on their abdomens . The female have slight bodies , a boxful - shaped head , and short - colored hairs on their back legs .
You wo n’t find box - headed roue bees collecting pollen like so many other bees do because they are cleptoparasitic . However , they do have ambrosia , so you may very well see them buzzing around flowers .
Being cleptoparasitic means that these bees ransack the nest of other type of bees . They start by invading the nests of other bee and destruct any egg or eats they might find inside . Then they position their own eggs in their place , seal off the nest back up , and leave . You ’ll often find box - headed line of descent bee in the same area as bloomed furrow bee , plebeian furrow bees , orange tree - legged crease bees , and sharp - collared furrow bee , because they like to use the nests of these types of bees .
Bumblebee
There are more than 255 different kinds of bumblebees , but most are larger than honeybee at half an inch to an inch long . The round , fuzzed organic structure of bumblebees are dark dark-brown or black with orange or chickenhearted grade insignia . Their loud buzzing speech sound can be listen at a distance .
Bumblebees are find around the public , nesting in empty tunnels used by rodents , the foundations of structure , or in spate of dead limb . They nest in groups that can have between 50 and 500 individual bees .
A queen bee is the leader of the bumblebee settlement . She is the only bee that lays eggs and is waited upon by the residual of the settlement . The colony bee collect pollen and ambrosia for not only their own food but that of the queen .
When humblebee sting , the stinger does not come off in the victim because of its tranquil shape . humblebee are capable of stinging multiple times .
Carpenter Bee
Like bumblebees , carpenter bee are half an in to an inch long with mordant and xanthous colour . you may evidence the difference between carpenter bee and bumblebees because while bumblebee are striped , carpenter bees are black at the tail with a jaundiced upper body .
Carpenter bee are excellent pollinators , but you may not require to encourage their mien in your garden . They get their name because they nest in Grant Wood , and despite their small size , they can be quite destructive . Carpenter bees make tunnels and mess in trees , fences , decks , and even homes that are made of wood . While the burrow may appear shallow , they can be up to 10 foot long .
Both male and distaff bee make jam in wood to progress their nest , but only female carpenter bees sting . The males instead aggressively defend the nest by dive bombing predators that get too close .
Furrow Bee
There are many different multifariousness of furrow bee , all of which are disastrous with distinctive yellow stripe . It can be difficult for even experts to order furrow bees apart from some other bee varieties .
Furrow bee feed on plenty of dissimilar kinds of flowers . They like wild flowers like knapweed and thistles as well as heyday with a daisy - like social system that they may find in your garden . ( These daisy - like efflorescence are from the industrial plant family unit Asteraceae .
Furrow bees are social and have a social structure alike to that of bumblebee . They are under the category of lather bee , which are attracted to human elbow grease . Furrow bees may take the air on a someone ’s skin attend for lather .
Ivy Bee
Ivy bees are a bit large than Apis mellifera and have ginger coloring on their thoraxes . On distaff ivy bee , the pectus is cover in thick , bleary hair . On the abdomen , English ivy bees have broad chevron of black and yellowish orange tree . Males are smaller but otherwise look standardised to the female .
Ivy bees are a eccentric of plasterer bee because of how they make their nest . It can be hard to tell ivy bee apart from other type of bee based on their appearance alone , so instead you’re able to expend behavior as an identifier . The best room to key an ivy bee is to take bank bill of the clock time of year when you see it . Male issue at the end of August , while female emerge at the end of September .
There ’s another interesting behavior that may clue you in to ivy bees in your garden . There ’s such competition between the Male for female tending that you may see a “ mating ball”—a clump of male bees in competition for the tending of a unmarried female person .
Leafcutter Bee
This is a class of bee cover about 240 dissimilar species .
Leafcutter bees are quite small , some just a fifth of an inch long . They look like small honeybee with their tawny and black chevron . However , their heads and jaw are larger , which is n’t surprising as they use this part of their bodies to manducate out sections of leaf that they take back to their nest . The nest of leafcutter bee are typically holes in dead wood or decayed trees .
Leafcutter bees are great at pollenation . Instead of packing pollen on their leg as some bees do , leafcutter bee carry pollen on their haired stomach .
These bees will only twinge if they are raise , and the pain of the confidence trick is much milder than that of a honeybee sting .
Long-Horned Bee
There are about 400 unlike species of long - horned bees . The name comes from the recollective transmitting aerial of the male bees .
Mason Bee
Gardeners love mason bees because of their high pollination rate . There are 139 different mintage of mason bees , each with varying sizes . However , most Freemason bee resemble carpenter bees with metallic black and blue markings .
Mason bees are solitary and do not nest in colonies or travel in swarms . distaff George Mason bee make their tube - mould nests out of clay , in which they lay their eggs .
Mason bee do n’t only pull in pollen on their legs . Instead , they hold it all over their haired bodies .
Because mason bee are such good pollinator , some gardeners install mason bee houses to encourage them to stay in the garden . These well-disposed bee will only sting if handled .
Mining Bee
There are 1400 dissimilar specie of mining bee ! They are solitary insects and do n’t trip in swarms or nest in colonies , though the female may fabricate their nest near to other mining bee nest .
excavation bee are of import pollinator for flora like apples , blueberries , and cranberries .
As the name suggest , mining bees make their homes underground . you’re able to see where they have been nest by attend for petty hummock of earth that resemble dirt ball castings . They make their nests in sandy grunge or in areas like lawns , molding beds , or even flower pot .
Nomad Bee
There are 700 dissimilar kinds of nomad bees . These bee are often misidentified as small wasps .
Like box seat - headed blood bee , nomad bee are cleptoparasitic , which means they invade the nests of other bee , ruin the eggs and larva at heart , and set up store with their own egg .
Pantaloon Bee
Pantaloon bees buzz off their name from the appearance of the distaff bees , which have orange pollen brush on their back wooden leg that make the bees appear like they are wear little orange pant . The males do have longer hair’s-breadth on their back legs , but they do n’t have the pantaloon effect that the distaff bee have . The males may front silvery white in the sun .
Pantaloon bees are average to enceinte and are mostly a golden chocolate-brown color . Their abdominal country is decorate with stripes of gold brown and opprobrious .
Plasterer Bee
These are sometimes predict cellophane bees or polyester bees because of how they line their nests with a waterproof substance .
Squash Bee
Squash bees are screw for pollinating all kinds of cucurbits , from squash to pumpkins and gourd vine . There are 13 unlike variety . These bee awaken up early , and you may often find them work just after dawn gap .
Squash bees of all kinds resemble honeybees in coloring , with gold and black bar . However , squash bees are a little larger than Apis mellifera . And whereas honeybees have quiet legs , distaff squash bees have haired hind leg . If you face closely , you ’ll remark that squelch bee have a rounder face than honeybees . While all these way to describe squash bees are present , the difference between squeeze bees and honeybees is very little , so they are often misidentified as Apis mellifera .
While honeybees may also pollinate the cucurbits that squash bees are list for , the squash bees do not cross-pollinate any other types of flowers . Only female squash bee will sting , and they usually must be agitate in order of magnitude to sting .
Sweat Bee
sudor bee got their name because they ’re draw in to human swither . There are more than 500 dissimilar character of sweat bees . These bees tend to be small , from one one-quarter inch to three living quarters of an in long .
Some stew bees have metallic gullible and blue food colour , while others are dark-brown and black-market . Some sweat bees have stripes .
You ’ll find sweat bees in land around the world , but they congregate most in the temperate regions . These bees make their nests in colonies underground and foregather their food ( pollen and ambrosia ) both for themselves and for the colony as a whole .
Female sweat bee are the only ones that sting , but when they do , they ’ll keep transfer venom to their victim until they ’re polish off . you could reduce the painful sensation of a sweat bee sting by removing the bee quickly after it first sting you .
Western Honeybee
This is the iconic Apis mellifera that most of us think of when bee come to beware . They ’re also called European honeybees . These bees are often enkindle by beekeepers for their honey and pollenation .
Western Apis mellifera have brown stripe on their bright yellow bodies . There are 20 different motley worldwide .
Honeybees live in colony ruled by a single queen mole rat bee , which the worker bees feed and give care for . She is the only honeybee that lays eggs .
Only the doer Apis mellifera will sting , which they will do to protect their beehive . Honeybees have a burred stinger that remains in the victim after they are stung . The bee dies after bite its victim .
These are all the different kinds of bee you may see in the garden . As you ’ve learned , some of these bees are good pollinator while others will not have much essence on your garden . Some ( Africanized bees ) are even dangerous . That ’s why it ’s a good approximation to be able to identify the types of bee you ’re seeing in your garden .
Learn More About Types of Bees
https://www.bobvila.com/articles/types-of-bees/
https://www.buzzaboutbees.net/types-of-bees.html
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/backyard-bee-identification-guide
https://www.treehugger.com/how-identify-different-types-bees-4864333
