Did you know that there are 20,000 species of bees in the world?
One-fifth of those occur widely in North America, but only a few are the ones that you’ll commonly find in your backyard. It’s important to be able to identify different types of bees to understand what they do and why they’re important. Many people fear bees because of their stinging reputation, but they do so much for us and the health of our gardens.
In this post, we’re going to give you an in-depth look at some common bee species so we can help you dispel your bee fear and appreciate what these little creatures really do. Read on and you’ll understand that there’s a lot more than meets the eyes when it comes to bees.
Bumblebees
There are nearly 50 species of bumblebee in the US. They get their name from the noise they make while hovering in flowers, which comes from the spastic, dance-like movements they use to get the pollen. Bumblebees are covered in yellow and black hair, which makes them easy to confuse with carpenter bees (you can tell them apart because bumblebees are much smaller).
They pollinate all types of wildflowers and certain agricultural crops, like tomatoes. They can sting, but only if you try to handle them against their will.
Honeybees
Various types of honeybees have been imported to the US from abroad because of their ability to pollinate a wide range of agricultural crops and the raw honey that they produce. They’re more of a golden brown with black stripes across the abdomen and if they’ve been pollinating flowers, you’ll see the yellow evidence on their legs.
Most honeybees are kept in hives and rarely live in wild colonies in the US. They can also sting, but if you’re wearing protective gear, and use a smoker when handling them, you should be fine.
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter, or wood bees, don’t have the shiny reputation that honeybees and bumblebees have. This is because they’re known for boring into and damaging the wood in and around your house. If you see one of these large holes on your deck or a sill, you may see a stream of bees emerging from it in the spring.
They’re also a bit brutish when it comes to feeding. When they don’t fit into smaller flowers (ie. blueberries), they’ll simply chew through them to get at the nectar, which doesn’t allow the flower to pollinate. Females can sting, but rarely do; males are more aggressive, but can’t sting.
Mason Bees
These are the small, quick, metallic-tinged bees that carry pollen in the hair on their abdomen. They look for hollowed-out twigs to nest in, but keen gardeners will put out bee hotels for their mason bees. This is because they are some of the best bees for pollinating a variety of flowers, fruit, and nut trees.
Again, male mason bees don’t have the ability to sting. Females can, but they’re among the most docile bees out there.
Understanding Different Types of Bees
The more you understand about the different types of bees in your garden, the more you’ll realize that they’re helping you more than hurting you. In fact, the few stings you’ve probably had in your life were more than likely from wasps. Leave the bees to do their work and they’ll turn your garden into a flowering oasis.
If you found this post interesting, come back for more on nature and health.
