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Identifying Types Of Bees: Bumble, Honey, Killer, Queen Bee, Ground, Carpenter, Bee Hives And Stings
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Published: December 1, 2006
There is more to identifying types of bees than just observing the yellow and black color commonly associated with bees. There are about 20,000 species of bees. Identifying types of bees begins by looking at key features, their social characteristics, their behavior, and examining the type of hive they build.
Identifying types of bees by Color and key features:
All bees have large back feet that have stiff hair called pollen baskets, designed for gathering pollen.
Identifying types of bees can be done by looking at the lip, all honeybees and most other species have a long tube made for sucking nectar from flowers.
Carpenter bees are metallic-colored, black, and have no yellow marking. They can grow up to 2 to 2 ½ inches long.
Bumble bees are large and hairy. They are typically black and yellow.
Honey bees are smaller. They are mostly black but some honey bees have a brown-yellow center.
Identifying different types of bees by their social characteristics:
This is divided into three groups; solitary, social, or parasitic.
Carpenter bees are solitary bees because they do not make wax. They travel long distances between flowers.
Bumblebee's live in colonies, making them social insects. In tropical regions bumblebee colonies can survive for years. In temperate regions, like much of North America, the worker bees and the drones die in the cooler temperatures of fall. The young and fertilized queen bees can survive the winter through hibernation. When the temperature warms up in the spring, the queen bees lay their eggs and a new colony begins.
The honeybee is a very social insect. Identifying types of bees can be done by looking at how these bees work together to create their hive. A honeybee colony consists of three castes: one queen bee, who produces the eggs; thousands of worker bees, which are undeveloped female bees; and a few hundred drones which are fertile male bees. The worker’s job is to gather nectar from flowers, make and store honey. It is the job of the worker bee to protect the hive and feed and care for the queen and the larvae, baby honeybees.
The African killer bee lives throughout Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. They have made their way over to North and South America and made a home in the more rural areas. African killer bees were accidentally introduced into the wild in South and North America during 1956. Brazilian scientists were attempting to create a new hybrid bee in the hopes of creating improved honey production. This new species of bee escaped and began to dominate all honey bees, thus the name killer bees. These bees are known to have a highly defensive nature, but no more to humans than any other type of bee. These bees share similar social and key features of the honey bee.
Identifying types of bees by the way they sting:
Whether a bee has a stinger or not is a way of identifying types of bees. There are a few species of stingless bumblebees. They are mostly found in tropical regions. Most other species of bees have stingers. When the bee stings, it releases a caustic liquid that burns the skin.
Female honeybees have a sharp stinger at the tip of their abdomen. The stinger is connected to poison glands. In the queen, who stings only rival queens, the sting is smooth and can be withdrawn easily. The worker bee sting is barbed and is unable to be withdrawn. When the bees stings it ends up tearing its body which causes it to die.
Identifying types of bees by the type of hive they build:
Carpenter bees construct nests most often in flower stalks or wood. They dig tunnels through solid wood. This is how carpenter bees got there name. Piles of sawdust beside the nest entrance is a clue that a nest is near.
Honeybees build hives, also referred to as honey combs or bees wax. Bees have a unique ability to make wax because of their special glands in the abdomen. Honeybees store honey in the hexagonal cells of the comb of the bee hive. In the wild, bee hives are often made in caves or hollow trees. Beekeepers provide nesting boxes.
Several species of bees will not build nests, but rather live underground in burrows and tunnels. Some bees, such as bumble bees, nest in abandoned hole made by rodents or other small animals. Others, like the ground bee, dig tunnels in the ground as shelter for their offspring. The ground bees are categorized as mining bees because they dig tunnels.
Ground bees prefer well shaded places with little plant life and loose soil. The females make chambers at the end of the tunnel where they store food for the baby bees. Most species of ground bees are small in size, all black, and have stingers. Although these bees are not naturally aggressive, they can be if they feel threatened.
"Bumble Bees." Everything About. 2006. 30 Nov. 2006
"Ground-Nesting Bees." Iowa State Universtiy. 2 Dec. 1997. 30 Nov. 2006 <www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1994/5-11-199 4/gndbee.html>.
"Killer Bees." Everything About. 2006. 30 Nov. 2006 <www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/anima ls/arthropods/insects/bees/killer_bee/index.shtml& />
Social Bees." Fact Monster. 2006. Pearson Education. 30 Nov. 2006 .
Identifying types of bees by Color and key features:
All bees have large back feet that have stiff hair called pollen baskets, designed for gathering pollen.
Identifying types of bees can be done by looking at the lip, all honeybees and most other species have a long tube made for sucking nectar from flowers.
Carpenter bees are metallic-colored, black, and have no yellow marking. They can grow up to 2 to 2 ½ inches long.
Bumble bees are large and hairy. They are typically black and yellow.
Honey bees are smaller. They are mostly black but some honey bees have a brown-yellow center.
Identifying different types of bees by their social characteristics:
This is divided into three groups; solitary, social, or parasitic.
Carpenter bees are solitary bees because they do not make wax. They travel long distances between flowers.
Bumblebee's live in colonies, making them social insects. In tropical regions bumblebee colonies can survive for years. In temperate regions, like much of North America, the worker bees and the drones die in the cooler temperatures of fall. The young and fertilized queen bees can survive the winter through hibernation. When the temperature warms up in the spring, the queen bees lay their eggs and a new colony begins.
The honeybee is a very social insect. Identifying types of bees can be done by looking at how these bees work together to create their hive. A honeybee colony consists of three castes: one queen bee, who produces the eggs; thousands of worker bees, which are undeveloped female bees; and a few hundred drones which are fertile male bees. The worker’s job is to gather nectar from flowers, make and store honey. It is the job of the worker bee to protect the hive and feed and care for the queen and the larvae, baby honeybees.
The African killer bee lives throughout Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. They have made their way over to North and South America and made a home in the more rural areas. African killer bees were accidentally introduced into the wild in South and North America during 1956. Brazilian scientists were attempting to create a new hybrid bee in the hopes of creating improved honey production. This new species of bee escaped and began to dominate all honey bees, thus the name killer bees. These bees are known to have a highly defensive nature, but no more to humans than any other type of bee. These bees share similar social and key features of the honey bee.
Identifying types of bees by the way they sting:
Whether a bee has a stinger or not is a way of identifying types of bees. There are a few species of stingless bumblebees. They are mostly found in tropical regions. Most other species of bees have stingers. When the bee stings, it releases a caustic liquid that burns the skin.
Female honeybees have a sharp stinger at the tip of their abdomen. The stinger is connected to poison glands. In the queen, who stings only rival queens, the sting is smooth and can be withdrawn easily. The worker bee sting is barbed and is unable to be withdrawn. When the bees stings it ends up tearing its body which causes it to die.
Identifying types of bees by the type of hive they build:
Carpenter bees construct nests most often in flower stalks or wood. They dig tunnels through solid wood. This is how carpenter bees got there name. Piles of sawdust beside the nest entrance is a clue that a nest is near.
Honeybees build hives, also referred to as honey combs or bees wax. Bees have a unique ability to make wax because of their special glands in the abdomen. Honeybees store honey in the hexagonal cells of the comb of the bee hive. In the wild, bee hives are often made in caves or hollow trees. Beekeepers provide nesting boxes.
Several species of bees will not build nests, but rather live underground in burrows and tunnels. Some bees, such as bumble bees, nest in abandoned hole made by rodents or other small animals. Others, like the ground bee, dig tunnels in the ground as shelter for their offspring. The ground bees are categorized as mining bees because they dig tunnels.
Ground bees prefer well shaded places with little plant life and loose soil. The females make chambers at the end of the tunnel where they store food for the baby bees. Most species of ground bees are small in size, all black, and have stingers. Although these bees are not naturally aggressive, they can be if they feel threatened.
"Bumble Bees." Everything About. 2006. 30 Nov. 2006
"Ground-Nesting Bees." Iowa State Universtiy. 2 Dec. 1997. 30 Nov. 2006 <www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1994/5-11-199 4/gndbee.html>.
"Killer Bees." Everything About. 2006. 30 Nov. 2006 <www.everythingabout.net/articles/biology/anima ls/arthropods/insects/bees/killer_bee/index.shtml& />
Social Bees." Fact Monster. 2006. Pearson Education. 30 Nov. 2006 .
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