At first glance bumble bees and yellow jackets appear quite similar. They are both flying insects with black and yellow coloring. However there are some important distinctions between these two types of insects. Understanding the differences can help you identify them properly and appreciate their unique roles in the environment.
Appearance and Physical Characteristics
Bumble bees are large, fuzzy insects. They have round, plump bodies covered in soft hair. Their coloring is typically black and yellow, but can sometimes be black and white. Bumble bees have a smooth stinger that allows them to sting repeatedly.
Yellow jackets have slender smooth bodies and are not as hairy as bumble bees. They have the classic yellow and black pattern but their bodies have a pinched waist separating the thorax and abdomen. Yellow jackets also have smooth stingers capable of multiple stings.
In general, bumble bees are larger and fuzzier than yellow jackets, which are smaller and less hairy.
Key Physical Differences:
- Bumble Bee: Big, fuzzy, plump, round body
- Yellow Jacket: Smaller, slimmer, less hair, pinched waist
Nesting Habits and Location
Bumble bees typically nest in small cavities underground, often using abandoned rodent burrows. Their nests contain up to several hundred bees with a single queen. Bumble bee nests are founded each spring by a solitary queen.
Yellow jackets build their nests aerially, such as in trees, shrubs, or wall voids. Their nests only house a few thousand workers at most. Yellow jacket nests are started each spring by a queen and expanded through the warmer months.
Nesting Differences:
- Bumble Bee: Underground, small nests
- Yellow Jacket: Above ground, larger nests
Behavior and Aggression
Bumble bees are known for being relatively docile. They tend to ignore humans and only sting if their nest is disturbed. Bumble bee colonies do not aggressively defend their nest area.
However, yellow jackets are extremely defensive of their nest. They will viciously sting any perceived threats multiple times. Yellow jackets can chase intruders for distances up to 50 yards away from the nest when provoked.
Behavioral Differences:
- Bumble Bee: Gentle, ignore humans
- Yellow Jacket: Aggressive, will attack and chase
Diet and Foraging
Bumble bees feed almost exclusively on nectar and pollen from flowers. They use their long tongues to reach nectar inside blossoms. Bumble bees are efficient pollinators of crops like tomatoes and blueberries.
Yellow jackets have a much more diverse diet. They prey on other insects, scavenge human foods and waste, and drink flower nectar. Yellow jackets have short mouths suited for eating meat and sweets. They do provide some pollination, but are not as effective as bees.
Diet Differences:
- Bumble Bee: Nectar and pollen
- Yellow Jacket: Insects, human food, some nectar
Stinging Potency
Bumble bee stings are typically less painful than yellow jacket stings. Bumble bee venom contains lower toxin concentrations and smaller injected volumes. Allergic reactions are rarer from bumble bee stings.
Yellow jacket stings inflict more pain due to higher venom potency. The stings can cause redness, itching, and swelling. Yellow jacket venom provokes allergic reaction more frequently than bumble bee venom.
Sting Differences:
- Bumble Bee: Mild sting, less venom
- Yellow Jacket: More painful, higher venom content
Benefits to Humans and the Ecosystem
As prolific pollinators, bumble bees are extremely valuable for agriculture. Bumble bee pollination leads to higher yields of crops like tomatoes, blueberries, and eggplants. The fuzzy hair on bumble bees also enables effective pollination of enclosed blossoms.
Yellow jackets help control pest populations by preying on detrimental insects. However, they can be a nuisance around human dwellings. Yellow jackets scavenge for food at picnics, trash bins, and outdoor eateries.
Benefits Provided:
- Bumble Bee: Pollination for crops
- Yellow Jacket: Natural pest control
Seasonal Life Cycles
Bumble bee colonies are founded each spring by solitary queens. The nests grow through summer and reach maximum size by fall. Bumble bee colonies die out in late summer except new queens who hibernate through winter.
Yellow jackets maintain their nests for longer periods. In warmer climates, yellow jacket nests can survive multiple years. In colder areas, the nest dies over winter except mated queens that overwinter in hidden spots.
Life Cycle Differences:
- Bumble Bee: Annual colonies
- Yellow Jacket: Perennial nests in some areas
Risks and Dangers to Humans
Bumble bees are not aggressive and only sting if provoked. Routine encounters pose little risk, though care should be taken around nests. Bumble bee stings are unlikely to cause severe reactions except in those hypersensitive.
Yellow jackets are more dangerous due to their aggressive defense of nests. They vigorously attack any perceived threat. Yellow jacket stings are also more likely to cause allergic reaction than bumble bee stings due to higher venom content.
Danger Level:
- Bumble Bee: Low danger
- Yellow Jacket: Higher risk from aggressive stinging
Despite some superficial similarities, bumble bees and yellow jackets have key differences in their appearance, behavior, nesting habits and impact on humans. Recognizing these distinctions allows us to identify them properly and appreciate their unique importance. While both provide benefits, yellow jackets require caution due to their aggressive stinging. Understanding both insects leads to safer and more harmonious coexistence.
Bees Vs. Yellowjackets: What’s the Difference?
Of course, there are different species of both wasps and bees. Typically, references to bees refer to honey bees and bumble bees. Wasps include hornets, mud daubers, and paper wasps, but the more aggressive yellowjackets get the most attention.
It’s important to make this distinction because:
- The bees that live in your garden will probably stay away from you unless you bump into them or do something to make them angry.
- When yellowjackets feel threatened, they won’t need much to get angry. They will even chase people until they sting them.
In addition, bees can only sting you one time. They have a barbed stinger attached to their digestive system, and if they lose it, they usually die soon after. Yellowjackets are usually capable of delivering multiple stings.
How to Tell the Difference Between Bees and Yellowjackets
Both bees and yellowjackets can deliver painful stings. That’s probably the reason most folks associate the two different kinds of insects and would rather avoid them. But they act in different ways most of the time, and they each play a unique role in the local ecosystem. In any case, knowing the difference between yellowjackets and bees can help you stay away from them, get rid of them from your property, and treat stings.
What’s The Difference Between Bees, Wasps, Yellow Jackets, and Hornets?
FAQ
How do I know if I have bees or yellow jackets?
Do bumble bees sting?
Are yellow jackets aggressive bees?
Are bumble bees aggressive?
What does a yellow jacket bee look like?
They tend to look like wasps but are slightly thicker in the body and head and are often slightly darker in color. Yellow jackets are also classified as wasps. They tend to be smaller and brighter than their wasp and hornet cousins. What are Bees?
Is a yellow jacket a wasp?
Yellow jackets are also classified as wasps. They tend to be smaller and brighter than their wasp and hornet cousins. What are Bees? Bees are black and yellow flying insects who are typically gentle creatures out in search of nectar and pollen to return to the hive with.
What does a bumble bee look like?
For example, the bumble bee has a heavier body and carpenter bees can appear black or brown. Wasps bodies will generally pinch off in the center and have longer brighter legs. Their bodies will have brighter yellows and more of a patterned appearance. Their wings are narrow and taper back and are longer than their bodies.
Are Yellowjackets and bees the same thing?
Both bees and yellowjackets can deliver painful stings. That’s probably the reason most folks associate the two different kinds of insects and would rather avoid them. At the same time, they generally behave differently and each have their own roles to play in the local ecosystem.
Are bumblebees more round than honey bees?
Bumblebees are more round than the honey bee and their coloring is yellow rather than caramel. Home: The bumblebee is not a great builder and you will often find a somewhat thrown-together nesting area in a pile of fluffy debris or trash. This is the bee that you will also find tunneled underneath a concrete slab.
How many types of bumblebees are there?
There are 49 species of bumblebees native to the U.S., according to the U.S. Forest Service. These bees are larger than honeybees and have a black body covered with dense yellow and black hair. They can be confused with carpenter bees, but Griffin says there’s an easy way to tell the difference: Carpenter bees are noticeably larger than bumblebees.