Characteristics of common wasps and bees
Many people confuse bees with their cousins, the wasps.
| Honeybee | Yellowjacket | Paper Wasp | Hornet | Bumblebee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| placeholder for picture | placeholder for picture | placeholder for picture | placeholder for picture | placeholder for picture | |
| color | varies but generally yellow to brown stipes | black and bright yellow stipes | dusty yellow to dark brown or black | black and ivory white markings | dark |
| coat | furry (short hair) | smooth | furry (long hair) | ||
| size | < 1/2 inch | 1/2 inch | 3/4 to 1 inch | up to 3/4 inch | 1 inch or more |
| legs | not generally visible while flying† | two long legs are visible hanging down during flight | long | rear legs marked by wide pollen baskets | |
| stinger | barbed | smooth | |||
| Severity of sting | bee venom is a common allergen, in which case a single bee sting can be life threatening | generally more painful than bee sting, but less lasting and not an allergen | severe | roughly comparable to honeybee | |
| after stinging | bee dies | can sting repeatedly | |||
| behavior | gentle, unless hive or queen is threatened ‡ | aggressive | gentle | ||
| Preferred food | nectar from flowers | human food and food waste especially overripe fruit and sugary drinks | other insects | nectar from flowers | |
| Lives in | large colonies of flat wax-based honeycomb hanging vertically | small umbrella-shaped papery combs hanging horizontally in protected spaces such as attics, eaves or soil cavities | large paper nest shaped like an upside-down pear usually hanging from branches or eaves | small cavities in the soil | |
† When walking, you can often see light-colored pollen on the rear legs.
‡ There are several races of domesticated honeybees with varying characteristics of honey production, disease resistance and gentleness.
Since the honeybee will die after stinging, there is no evolutionary advantage for a bee to sting to defend itself.
Honeybees will generally only sting when the hive is directly threatened.
Honeybees found in the field or on a flower will rarely sting.
Note: Africanized honeybees can be more aggressive than the more common European honeybees, but still only defend the hive.
See also: wasps