Bees

What Are Bees?

Bees are flying insects known for their crucial role in pollination and, in some species, for producing honey and beeswax. Belonging to the superfamily Apoidea, bees are closely related to wasps and ants, but they are unique in their strong association with flowering plants.

Are Bees Harmful?

While bees are overwhelmingly beneficial to ecosystems and human agriculture, there are certain situations in which bees can be considered harmful:

• Defensive Stings: Most bee species are not aggressive by nature, but they will sting if they feel threatened or if their nest is disturbed. Honey bees, in particular, are known to defend their hives vigorously.
• Pain and Swelling: Bee stings can cause localized pain, redness, and swelling, which is uncomfortable but generally not serious for most people.
• Anaphylaxis: For individuals with bee sting allergies, even a single sting can trigger a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. This is a medical emergency that can result in shock, difficulty breathing, or even death without prompt treatment.
• Swarm Attacks: Africanized honey bees are a hybrid of African and European honey bees. They are more defensive and aggressive than other bee types. These bees are known for their heightened sensitivity to disturbances and their tendency to swarm and chase perceived threats for long distances.
• Structural Damage: Bees, especially carpenter bees, can cause physical damage by boring holes into wood to create nests. Over time, this can weaken structural elements of buildings, fences, decks, and eaves.
• Unwanted Colonies: Honey bees may establish nests inside walls, attics, chimneys, or other cavities in buildings. These nests can become large and heavy, cause stains from dripping honey, and attract other pests such as ants, wax moths, and rodents.

Learn more: Natural Bee Repellents

Learn more: Do Bees Bite?

Bee Types

Bees are incredibly diverse, with over 20,000 known species worldwide. While most people are familiar with honey bees and bumblebees, there are many other types of bees, each with unique behaviors, habitats, and roles in ecosystems. Here are some of the most common types of bees:

• Bumblebees: Bumblebees are social pollinators that nest in the ground and are vital for crops.
• Carpenter Bees: Carpenter bees are wood-boring bees that tunnel into wood to nest.
• Digger Bees: Digger bees are ground-nesting solitary bees that excavate soil tunnels.
• Honey Bees: Honey bees are social bees known for honey production and complex hives.
• Leaf Cutter Bees: Leaf cutter bees are solitary bees that cut leaves to build nests.

Bee Appearance

There are over 20,000 known species of bees, and while they vary in size, color, and appearance, most share a set of common characteristics. Here's what bees generally look like:

• Body Segments: Bees have three main body segments. The head contains the eyes, antennae, and mouthparts. The thorax is the middle segment, which bears the legs and wings. The abdomen is the rear segment, often tapered, and in many species, equipped with a stinger.
• Size: Bees range in size depending on the species. The common honeybee (Apis mellifera) is typically about 0.5 to 0.6 inches (12 to 15 mm) in length. Bumblebees are larger and more robust, while some solitary bees can be as small as 0.08 inches (2 mm).
• Coloration: Bees are often yellow or golden with black stripes or patches, which serve as a warning coloration to potential predators. Some species may also appear brown, orange, metallic green, blue, or black.
• Hairy Bodies: Bees are generally covered in branched hairs (called setae) which help them collect and transport pollen. Bumblebees and many solitary bees are particularly fuzzy, while honeybees have moderate hair coverage.
• Wings: Bees have two pairs of wings—the forewings and hindwings—that are usually transparent and veined. These wings are hooked together in flight, giving the appearance of a single pair.
• Antennae: Bees have a pair of segmented, elbowed antennae that are highly sensitive to smell and movement.
• Eyes: Bees have two large compound eyes and three smaller simple eyes (ocelli) arranged in a triangle on the top of the head. These eyes provide wide-angle vision and detect light intensity and movement.
• Mouthparts: Their mouthparts include a long, straw-like tongue (proboscis) used for sucking nectar, and strong mandibles for manipulating wax, grooming, or defending the hive.
• Legs: Bees have six legs, often with pollen baskets (corbiculae) on their hind legs in the case of honeybees and bumblebees. These legs are adapted for collecting pollen and cleaning their antennae and bodies.
• Stinger: Female bees of many species have a stinger at the end of their abdomen. In honeybees, the stinger is barbed and used for defense, often resulting in the bee’s death after stinging. Male bees (drones) do not have stingers.

Learn more: What Do Bees Look Like?

Learn more: How Do Bees Fly?

Bee Habitat

Bees can be found in a wide variety of environments across the world, but their presence and abundance depend on the availability of food sources (flowers), suitable nesting habitats, and favorable climatic conditions. Here's where you're most likely to find bees:

Gardens and Yards

• Why Bees Are Attracted: Home gardens often have a diverse range of flowering plants, fruits, vegetables, and herbs that produce nectar and pollen—essential food sources for bees.
• Likely Bee Activity: Foraging on flowers, collecting nectar and pollen, sometimes nesting in garden beds, compost heaps, or in wood structures (carpenter bees).

Meadows, Prairies, and Grasslands

• Why Bees Are Attracted: These natural landscapes often support native wildflowers and grasses that bloom throughout the growing season.
• Likely Bee Activity: Native bees, especially solitary species like mining bees and sweat bees, thrive here. Bumblebees also favor these areas for both foraging and nesting in the ground.

Wooded Areas and Forest Edges

• Why Bees Are Attracted: Tree blossoms, flowering understory plants, and natural cavities in dead wood provide both food and nesting opportunities.
• Likely Bee Activity: Carpenter bees and some solitary bees nest in dead wood. Honeybees may establish wild hives in tree cavities.

Agricultural Fields and Orchards

• Why Bees Are Attracted: Many crops (e.g., apples, almonds, berries, cucumbers) require pollination, attracting both wild bees and managed honeybees.
• Likely Bee Activity: Honeybee colonies are often brought in for pollination. Wild bees such as leafcutter bees and mason bees may be present, especially if farmers use bee-friendly practices.

Urban Areas

• Why Bees Are Attracted: Surprisingly, cities can be good habitats due to urban gardens, green rooftops, parks, and ornamental landscaping.
• Likely Bee Activity: Bees forage on flowering plants in planters, gardens, and even roadside vegetation. Solitary bees may nest in cracks, soft mortar, or soil in vacant lots.

Suburban Landscapes

• Why Bees Are Attracted: Flowering shrubs, trees, vegetable gardens, and lawns with dandelions or clover provide consistent food.
• Likely Bee Activity: A variety of bees may visit, including honeybees, bumblebees, and solitary ground-nesting bees.

Near Water Sources

• Why Bees Are Attracted: Bees need water for cooling the hive and diluting honey. Ponds, birdbaths, or dripping irrigation systems often attract them.
• Likely Bee Activity: Foraging for water, especially during hot, dry periods.

Underground or In Soil (For Nesting)

Ground-nesting bees (which make up about 70% of all bee species) prefer well-drained, bare or lightly vegetated soil. You're likely to find these bees in lawns with patchy grass, garden edges, sandy banks or trails, and unmulched flower beds.

Inside Structures or Wood (Certain Species)

• Carpenter bees bore into untreated wood in decks, eaves, fences, or siding, as well as wooden play structures or furniture
• Honeybees may occasionally nest inside wall voids, attics, or hollowed trees if access is available.

Bee Hotspots by Region (General Climate Zones):

• Temperate regions: Spring and summer months bring peak activity. Look for bees in blooming areas from early spring through fall.
• Tropical regions: Bees may be active year-round, especially in regions with distinct wet seasons promoting flowering.
• Arid regions: Bees may be more seasonal and active around oases, irrigated lands, or native desert blooms.

Where You're Least Likely to Find Bees:

• Heavily paved urban centers with no green space
• Monoculture fields with no flowering undergrowth
• Overly maintained landscapes (e.g., grass-only lawns, excessive pesticide use)
• Cold, wet, or windy areas during early spring or late fall