![]() ![]() ![]() The female carpenter bee is capable of stinging multiple times as her stinger has no barb. The male doesn’t even have a stinger, so they are just letting you know they know you’re there. ![]() Male carpenter bees have a reputation for aggression, but their bark is worse than their bite. She will usually die afterward as it can’t be removed. The female honey bee has a barbed stinger that she may use if threatened. They will attack almost anything that moves. At the other end of the scale, Africanized bees are highly aggressive. Caucasians and Buckfasts are mostly non-aggressive, although there are exceptions. Some honey bee races are more docile than others. Mason bees are a similar size to bumble bees. Their thorax varies by species and may be yellow, brown, white, black, or blue. This size is smaller than carpenter bees which are generally ¾ to 1 inch long.Ĭarpenter bees have a shiny black abdomen free from hair. Depending on their breed, they may vary in color and are covered in fuzz.Ī honey bee measures ½ – 5/8 of an inch in length. Honey bees typically have yellow and brown stripes with a fat body. Carpenter bees don’t make honey but are excellent native bee pollinators. They chew into wood to make their nests and are considered by some to be a nuisance. Carpenter bees are bigger and live on their own or in small families. Honey bees are social insects that live in hives and produce honey. What is the difference between a carpenter bee and honey bee? Let’s take a close look at their similarities and differences. They differ in nesting habits, appearance, and virtually everything else. They are both from the Apidae family but side by side, each species is a mile apart. Be careful in your assessment and always handle bees with care.The honey bee and carpenter bee are both eco-friendly insects that do a fantastic job as pollinators. But with such a variety of bees nesting in the ground, it’s easy to get confused. (4) For help with a swarm of these important pollinators or to get advice on how to move a nest yourself, try contacting a local beekeeping association or university extension program in your area.Ĭarpenter bees stay true to their name and only nest in wood. A bumblebee nest generally only lasts one season, so by wintertime, the bees will have gradually died off or relocated naturally. Also, bumblebees are able to sting repeatedly (unlike honey bees, which can only sting once.) Because of these factors, bumblebee nests must be handled with extreme care.Īnyone with venom reactions should keep a bee sting kit handy. Both the male and female may attack if the nest is disturbed, and both can sting. ![]() Bumblebees are also known to survive colder weather conditions, so they generally have active nests longer than other bee species. (4)Ī bumblebee ground nest can have up to 400 bees living in it!īumblebee nests can have anywhere from 50 to 400 bees living in them. Bumblebees’ abdomens are fuzzy while carpenter bees’ are shiny and smooth. The biggest physical difference between the carpenter bee and the bumblebee is the abdomen. Bumblebees will nest underground and are almost identical in appearance to the carpenter bee. The bumblebee is a ground-nesting bee and is easy to mistake for a carpenter bee. To determine if a nest is a colony, watch to see if there is a steady flow of bees coming and going from the ground. (2) The colony species of ground-dwelling bees can be more aggressive, especially when defending their nests from intruders. In general, if left alone, these bees won’t bother you. (3) Both types will sting if handled but are hard to provoke. (1) Common ground-dwelling solitary bees are digger bees and polyester bees. They also have less energy to defend their homes since they must procreate, build, and nourish for themselves. Solitary bees, with one female and male per nest, are less aggressive than social bees, which are part of a colony. It’s estimated 70% off the bee species in North America nest in the ground. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |