Bees, wasps and hornets – they buzz around your backyard and garden, sometimes send you running if they get too close. But how well do you know these stinging insects? Can you identify the differences between them or do you just lump them all together as scary flying bugs?
In this guide, we’ll provide pictures and descriptions of the most common bees wasps and hornets so you can learn to identify them. Understanding their key differences will also help you know how to respond when you encounter them and whether they are help or harm in your garden.
Bees
[Honey bee picture]
The honey bee is probably the first bee that comes to mind for most people. Honey bees live in large colonies with one queen, many female worker bees and some male drones. They make the familiar wax honeycomb where the queen lays eggs and the workers store pollen and honey.
Honey bees have robust, hairy bodies and visit flowers to gather pollen and nectar. They are generally docile and will only sting to defend their hive.
[Bumblebee picture]
Bumblebees resemble honey bees in their fuzzy, round appearance but are typically bigger and have black and yellow banding. Like honey bees, bumblebee colonies have a queen and female workers.
An interesting fact about bumblebees is that they vibrate their wing muscles to warm up on cold days, allowing them to be some of the earliest pollinators active in spring.
[Carpenter bee picture]
Carpenter bees are large, robust bees that get their name from drilling nesting tunnels into wood. They resemble bumblebees with their dark, hairy abdomens but have a shiny black thorax.
Carpenter bees are mostly solitary but can nest in aggregates. The males are territorial and may hover in front of people but they do not have a stinger. Only mated females can sting but they are not aggressive.
[Mason bee picture]
Mason bees are small, solitary bees that nest in holes, like hollow plant stems or wooden nest boxes provided for them. They get their name from using mud or other “masonry” material to partition their nest cells.
There are many species of mason bees, including the striking blue orchard mason bee. These gentle bees do not have a stinger and are excellent pollinators.
[Leafcutter bee picture]
Leafcutter bees cut neat circular pieces from leaves to build their nests. They carry the leaf pieces back to their nests tucked under their abdomens, making them look like tiny flying saucers!
These solitary bees are important pollinators of crops like alfalfa. Their nests can be recognized by the circular cutouts scattered around plants.
Wasps
[Yellowjacket picture]
The yellowjacket is probably the wasp people encounter most frequently around food and at picnics. They have distinctive black and yellow banding and are highly attracted to sugary foods and drinks.
Yellowjackets live in large paper nests and have barbed stingers they can use repeatedly to defend their nest. Their stings are painful so give them space.
[Paper wasp picture]
Paper wasps have slender, wasp-waisted bodies with long legs and antennae. Their colors range from black, brown and red to bright yellow and metallic blue.
These wasps build open, umbrella-shaped paper nests on eaves and branches. Their stings can be painful but they usually only get aggressive if their nest is disturbed.
[Mud dauber wasp picture]
Mud dauber wasps are skinny black wasps that build mud nest tubes on walls, rocks and trees. The name refers to their habit of plastering mud around their nest cavities.
These solitary wasps hunt spiders and other insects to provision their nests. Their sting is painful but they are not aggressive unless handled.
[Cicada killer wasp picture]
The cicada killer is the biggest wasp in North America, reaching 1.5 inches long. As the name implies, they prey on cicadas, stinging and paralyzing them and carrying them back to their underground burrows.
Despite their intimidating size, cicada killers are docile and rarely sting unless grabbed or stepped on. The males are territorial though and may fly in front of people.
[Tarantula hawk wasp picture]
Tarantula hawk wasps are spider hunting wasps found in the southwestern U.S. Growing over 2 inches long, they are one of the largest wasp species. Their dark blue-black bodies and rusty-colored wings make them distinctive.
True to their name, they hunt tarantulas as food for their larvae. They have an extremely painful sting but only sting if provoked.
Hornets
[Bald-faced hornet picture]
The bald-faced hornet has characteristic white or yellow markings on its mostly black body. Workers grow up to 3/4 inches long and build football-sized grey paper nests hanging from trees and eaves.
Bald-faced hornets aren’t true hornets but are a type of aerial yellowjacket. They have a potent sting and aggressively guard their nest. Give nests a wide berth.
[European hornet picture]
The European hornet is an invasive pest in parts of the eastern U.S. and Canada. About 1 inch long, they are mostly brown with yellow bands and markedly large heads.
European hornets build basketball-sized nests and prey on insects, tree sap and fruit. They have a painful sting and aggressively defend the nest.
[Asian giant hornet picture]
The Asian giant hornet, sometimes called the murder hornet, is the world’s largest hornet at 1.5-2 inches long. They have massive orange heads with prominent eyes and orange and black-banded abdomens.
Introduced giant hornets can decimate honey bee colonies. Their stings can be fatal to humans. Report any suspected sightings immediately.
Helpful or Harmful?
While some of these stinging insects like yellowjackets and giant hornets can certainly pose risks with their painful stings, most bees, wasps and hornets are not aggressive and many provide tremendous benefits like pollination and pest control.
Understanding their identification and habits helps assess whether control measures are needed for problem nests and encourages tolerance of these insects when they are simply going about their business.
Equipped with this overview and photo guide, you can now get acquainted with the bees, wasps and hornets around your neighborhood. Grab your camera and see if you can snap pictures of each variety to start identifying them in your own backyard.
What is a Wasp?
A wasp is a winged pollinator found everywhere in the world, except for Antarctica. There are more than 30,000 species of wasps known to exist in the world. They are all different in color, size, and even how they build their nests. Similar to the bee species, wasps receive carbohydrates from the same source, flowering plants. But wasps are also called carnivores because they get their protein from meat, while honey bees don’t eat meat and get their protein from pollen.
Many people are afraid of wasps because they are brightly colored and can sting more than once. However, wasps are important (and mostly calm!) pollinators that protect our ecosystem by doing things like pollinating plants and getting rid of pests naturally. It’s possible for wasps to eat protein from garden pests because their chewing mandibles are shaped like scissors and come together like that.
Wasp Prevention and Removal
Noah Wilson-Rich, co-founder of The Best Bees Company, says that stopping and getting rid of wasps shouldn’t be our first thoughts.
It’s always a good sign when people see wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets in their area, the expert says. That means you have a healthy habitat, and it’s what we call bio indicators of ecosystem health. ”.
Wilson-Rich urges people to reconsider the prevention of wasps because they play an integral role in our ecosystem. They not only help nutrients move around, but they also eat bugs that are a problem, like grubs that eat tomatoes in gardens. Most importantly, you should leave a wasp nest alone if it is not getting in the way of your life or home. Sometimes these nests don’t make it through the winter or the rainy season, so nature will get rid of the nest on its own when the time comes.
Taking steps to keep wasps from coming is better than using pesticides, but the best thing we can do is be more accepting of their presence and think about what we can do to help these species.
What’s The Difference Between Bees, Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets?
FAQ
How do you identify a bee wasp and hornet?
What does a hornet bee look like?
Which sting is worse, a wasp hornet or a yellow jacket?
What is the most aggressive wasp?
Is a Hornet a wasp?
Hornets are Wasps: Hornets belong to the Vespidae family, along with wasps and yellowjackets. 1. Bees, wasps, and hornets belong to different families (and subfamilies). 2. Hairy Appearance: Bees are covered in soft, fine hairs on their legs and bodies. Contrast this with wasps and hornets that have almost no soft hairs.
How do you know if a wasp is a hornet?
The size of the wasp or bee’s body is another way to identify the type of black and yellow winged insect. Hornets are larger than bees or wasps, measuring up to 1.5” (38 mm) long, whereas wasps and bees are between 0.25” and 1” (6 – 25 mm) long. Size comparison of wasp (left) and hornet (right)
Are black and white wasps the same as bald-faced hornets?
Black and white bees are sometimes mistaken for the bald-faced hornet—a type of black wasp with white markings. However, several species of bees have black furry bodies with white stripes. Additionally, there are a few types of black and white wasps, one of which is the feared bald-faced hornet.
Are there black and white wasps?
However, several species of bees have black furry bodies with white stripes. Additionally, there are a few types of black and white wasps, one of which is the feared bald-faced hornet. Knowing how to identify black and white bees, wasps, and hornets is vitally important.
What is the difference between a Hornet and a wasp sting?
While the sting of a wasp can be painful, it is usually less potent than that of a hornet. Bees, on the other hand, have barbed stingers that are designed to lodge into the skin of their target. When a bee stings, its stinger becomes embedded in the victim, causing the bee to sacrifice its life.
Do hornets & wasps have a proboscis?
Hornets and wasps have strong mandibles or jaws that they use to capture and chew their prey. Bees, on the other hand, have a proboscis, which is a long tube-like structure used for sipping nectar from flowers. RESCUE! TrapStik for Wasps, Mud Daubers, Carpenter Bees – 2 Pack