Here are a few useful features to help distinguish between several common varieties of bee and wasp.
| Honeybee | Bumblebee | Yellowjacket | Paper wasp | Baldfaced hornet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| color | varies but generally yellow to brown stripes | yellow with black stripes, sometimes with red tail, to dark | black and bright yellow stripes | dusty yellow to dark brown or black | black and ivory white markings |
| coat | furry (short hair) | furry (long hair) | smooth | ||
| size | 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) | 2.5 cm (1 inch) or more | 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) | 1.9–2.5 cm (3/4 to 1 inch) | up to 1.9 cm (3/4 inch) |
| legs | not generally visible while flying† | two long legs are visible hanging down during flight. no pollen baskets | long. no pollen baskets | ||
| behavior | gentle, unless hive or queen is threatened ‡ | gentle | aggressive | ||
| Preferred food | nectar from flowers | other insects, overripe fruit, sugary drinks, human food and food waste | other insects | ||
| stinger | barbed | smooth | |||
| after stinging | bee dies | can sting repeatedly | |||
| Lives in | large colonies of flat wax-based honeycomb hanging vertically | small cavities in the soil | 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 | |
† When walking, you can often see light-colored pollen on the pollen baskets on a honeybee's 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 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