Kinds Of Bees

Every spring season, different kinds of bees flood gardens and parks. It is because bees are attracted to flowers-their colours and their scents. But very few of us, really notice a bee. Its tiny size could be one of the reasons and so here is some information that can help you spot the kinds of bees when you see them this spring.

The bees that we see most commonly are bumble bees. There are the bees that are seen hovering over flowers carrying on silently the process of pollination. These bees are too caught up in their flowers to really bother about people. So they not sting easily, but when they do, it’s a strong sting and especially when they are defending their nest. Made of dry grass and leaves, their nest is simple yet disorganised.

Ground bees are the kinds of bees which go into the earth rather than hover in the air. Their nest can be anything from a few inches to a few feet deep into the ground. It is generally a discarded hole or mole that is their target location. They are calm bees but can turn extremely aggressive if they feel threatened. They are generally found in grass and adorn a kind of a yellow jacket as their outer covering.

Picking up from ground bees, lets move to yellow jacket bees. The yellow jackets bees are attracted towards your ice creams and barbecues. They are yellow in colour with black stripes (or the other way round). Their nests are not hidden but are built in open spaces like parks. Their nest is ball-like and grey in colour. This grey paper is made by the bees after chewing tiny pieces of wood. The eggs hatch inside the nest and the food is stored in its center.

Hornets are the kinds of bees who are extremely aggressive and have a very strong sting. They can sting through your clothes and pierce through multiple layers. Their nest is also tear drop shaped and made of gray paper like the yellow jacket bees. These nests are not hidden and are fully visible.

Wasps are, technically, not bees, but of the many kinds of bees, their sting is the worst. Wasps survive in attics but can build a nest practically anywhere. Their nest is very small and can fit behind a light fixture. Physically, they are longer and thinner at the waist as compared to other bees.

The only bee of all kinds of bees that does not nest as a collective would be the carpenter bee. It drills a small hole into the wood and nests there, alone, though other bees would be close by too. They damage only the surface wood and don’t cause structural damage if not in large numbers.

Finally, we have the honey bees. These are the bees that are associated with honey production. These bees can build huge hives with its inhabitants running into thousands. Obviously, their nest is heavy too. Their numbers are fast decreasing and because they are very active pollinators, it is essential to maintain their numbers.