Bees come in all shapes and sizes, and knowing which type you’re dealing with can make a big difference. Some bees are helpful pollinators, while others can cause problems around your home.
This guide covers 20 different types of bees you might encounter, starting with the ones that tend to cause the most trouble.
1. Carpenter Bees
Carpenter bees are solitary bees that tunnel into wood to create their nests, often causing structural damage in the process. Female carpenter bees are over one inch long and about as wide as your thumb, while males are similar in size but are blond or tan-colored and cannot sting.
This type of bee gets its name from its habit of boring perfectly round holes into wooden structures like decks, railings, and eaves. The female does all the drilling work while the male hovers around defensively but can’t actually sting. You’ll notice small piles of sawdust beneath their holes, and you might hear a buzzing sound from inside the wood.
While carpenter bees don’t live in large colonies like other bees, they can return to the same nesting sites year after year, making the damage worse over time. The good news is that they’re generally not aggressive toward people unless you try to handle them directly.
2. Yellow Jackets
Yellowjackets have a distinctive black and yellow pattern and measure between 3/8 to 5/8 of an inch. They live in constructed paper carton nests that can grow to the size of a basketball if left unchecked.
Yellow jackets are often confused with bees, but they’re actually wasps. This type of bee-like insect becomes especially problematic in late summer when their colonies are at peak size. They love sugary foods and drinks, which is why they show up at outdoor barbecues and picnics.
Unlike true bees, yellow jackets can sting multiple times without dying. They become aggressive when their nest is threatened, and they’re territorial enough that just being near their nest can trigger an attack. Their nests are usually hidden underground or in wall cavities, making them hard to spot until it’s too late.
3. European Hornets
These stinging insects are found along the Eastern Seaboard, through the Dakotas, and in Iowa, Illinois, and down to New Orleans. They build nests that look like paper cartons covered in a brown paper envelope.
European hornets are the largest wasps you’ll see in North America, and this type of bee-like insect can be quite intimidating due to its size. They typically nest in dark cavities, usually hollow logs deep in the woods, but sometimes choose attics, wall voids, or large trees near homes.
Despite their scary appearance, European hornets are actually less aggressive than yellow jackets. They’re most active at night, which sets them apart from other wasps. You might hear them buzzing around outdoor lights after dark. While they can sting multiple times, they usually only do so when directly threatened.
4. Bald-Faced Hornets
Bald-faced hornets are related to yellowjackets and are up to 3/4-inch long with black and ivory white markings on the face, thorax and tip of the abdomen.
This type of bee-like wasp is easy to recognize thanks to its distinctive white face markings. They commonly build nests around homes, such as underneath eaves, and their gray, papery nests often hang from tree branches or building overhangs.
Bald-faced hornets are social insects that work together to defend their nest. They’re more aggressive than European hornets and will chase perceived threats for considerable distances. Their nests can house several hundred individuals by late summer, making them particularly dangerous to approach.
5. Paper Wasps
Paper wasps are perhaps the most common wasps around structures and are also known as “umbrella wasps” because their nests look like umbrellas hanging upside-down from eaves and overhangs.
Paper wasps build their distinctive umbrella-shaped nests in protected areas around homes and buildings. This type of bee-like insect is actually beneficial because they feed on insects considered pests by humans, but they attack when the nest is disturbed and each can sting repeatedly.
You can easily spot paper wasp nests because they look like open honeycombs hanging from a central stalk. Unlike enclosed nests, you can actually see the individual cells where the wasps raise their young. Paper wasps are generally less aggressive than yellow jackets but will defend their nest if they feel threatened.
6. Cicada Killer Wasps
The cicada killer is a large, yellow and black wasp that burrows into lawns, golf courses, nursery beds, etc. It is often mistaken for a hornet or yellow-jacket, however, the cicada killer is a solitary wasp, not a social wasp.
Cicada killers are among the largest wasps in North America, which makes them pretty scary to encounter. This type of bee-like insect gets its name from its hunting behavior: females catch cicadas to feed their young. Despite their intimidating size, they’re actually quite gentle and rarely sting people.
You’ll typically see cicada killers in mid to late summer when cicadas are active. The females dig burrows in the ground, often in lawns or garden beds with loose soil. While the holes they create can be unsightly, these wasps are generally considered beneficial because they help control cicada populations.
7. Mud Dauber Wasps
Mud daubers are about 1/2- to 1-inch long and slender, typically black with pale markings. They are solitary and do not live in colonies, making their homes from mud under eaves, on porch ceilings, inside sheds or garages.
Mud daubers are easy to recognize by their distinctive mud nests that look like organ pipes or small pottery. This type of bee-like wasp is actually quite beneficial because they hunt spiders to feed their young, helping keep spider populations under control around your home.
These wasps are generally very docile and rarely sting unless handled directly. You might see them collecting mud from puddles or garden areas to build their nests. While their mud structures might not be the most attractive addition to your home’s exterior, mud daubers are mostly harmless neighbors.
8. Sweat Bees
Many sweat bees are metallic green and get their name from their attraction to human perspiration. These small, fuzzy bees nest in the ground or in wood.
Sweat bees are among the most beautiful bees you’ll encounter, with many species showing brilliant metallic green or blue colors. This type of bee gets its name because they’re sometimes attracted to the salt in human sweat, especially on hot summer days.
The family of bees collectively known as sweat bees has some 4,500 species, making them incredibly diverse. Most are quite small and generally gentle, though they can give a mild sting if pressed against skin. They’re excellent pollinators and play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
9. Cuckoo Bees
Cuckoo bees are used for a variety of different bee lineages which have evolved kleptoparasitic behaviour of laying their eggs in the nests of other bees. There are more than 3,000 species of cuckoo bees found on every continent except Antarctica.
Cuckoo bees are the freeloaders of the bee world. This type of bee doesn’t build its own nest or collect pollen for its young. Instead, females sneak into other bees’ nests and lay their eggs there, leaving the host bee to raise their offspring.
Some are sometimes called “blood bees” due to their red abdomens, and they often look more like wasps than typical bees. They lack the fuzzy, pollen-collecting hairs that most bees have since they don’t need to gather pollen themselves. Cuckoo bees are generally not aggressive and rarely sting.
10. Honey Bees
Honey bees provide an estimated $20 billion annually from pollination of 120 cultivated crops. They are not native to North America but were originally imported from Europe.
Honey bees are probably the most famous bees in the world, and for good reason. They are known for living in hives and having a very ordered society, with colonies ranging from 20,000 to 80,000 members. This type of bee produces the honey we eat and provides crucial pollination services for agriculture.
Despite their importance, honey bees can become defensive when their hive is threatened. They can only sting once before dying, which makes them less likely to sting than wasps or hornets. If you encounter a honey bee swarm, it’s best to call a local beekeeper who can safely relocate them.
11. Bumblebees
Bumblebees are eusocial insects that form colonies with a single queen, with colonies smaller than honey bees, growing to as few as 50 individuals in a nest. They generally nest underground.
Bumblebees are the gentle giants of the bee world. This type of bee is fuzzy, round, and typically much larger than honey bees. Most bumblebees can sting repeatedly but generally ignore humans and other animals unless directly threatened.
You’ll often see bumblebees visiting flowers early in the morning or late in the evening when other bees aren’t active. They’re excellent pollinators and can even “buzz pollinate” by vibrating their flight muscles to shake pollen loose from flowers. Bumblebees are generally very peaceful and make great garden companions.
12. Mason Bees
Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other “masonry” products in constructing their nests. Unlike honey bees or bumblebees, Osmia species are solitary with every female fertile and making her own nest.
Mason bees are superstar pollinators that many gardeners and farmers actively encourage. Mason bees are almost two to three times more effective at pollinating than honeybees, with 400 female blue orchard bees as effective as 10,000 honeybees when pollinating almonds.
This type of bee nests in small holes and tubes, making them perfect for artificial bee houses. They’re extremely gentle and rarely sting, making them ideal for people who want to support pollinators in urban settings. Mason bees are most active in early spring when fruit trees are blooming.
13. Leafcutter Bees
Leafcutter bees use their jaws to cut sections of garden leaves which they take back to their nest and ‘glue’ together with saliva to build cells for their larvae.
If you’ve ever noticed perfect circular or oval holes cut from the edges of your rose leaves, you’ve probably met leafcutter bees. This type of bee is actually doing your garden a favor by providing excellent pollination services, even though they might make your plants look a bit like someone took scissors to them.
Two of the most common hole-nesting bee species used for crop pollination are alfalfa leafcutter bees and blue mason bees. Leafcutter bees are gentle, solitary insects that rarely sting and are valuable pollinators for many garden plants and crops.
14. Mining Bees
Mining bees can range from 6mm (known as mini-miners) to larger, honeybee-sized females and are one of the first solitary bees on the wing in early spring.
Mining bees are among the first bees you’ll see each year, often appearing when there’s still snow on the ground. Most Andrenidae are mining bees in the genus Andrena, typically medium-sized, shiny black bees with tan to reddish hair.
This type of bee nests in the ground, creating small mounds of excavated soil around their nest entrances. While they sometimes nest in large numbers, making it look like your lawn has been invaded, they’re actually beneficial pollinators that rarely cause problems. The males cannot sting, and females rarely do.
15. Alkali Bees
Alkali bees are ground-nesting bees native to the western and southwestern United States with a preference for salty soils. One species, Nomia melanderi, has proven invaluable for the pollination of alfalfa.
Alkali bees are specialized creatures that thrive in environments where most other bees struggle. This type of bee loves salty soil conditions and has become essential for alfalfa production in the western United States. It is the only solitary ground-nesting bee commercially managed for crop pollination.
These bees have beautiful iridescent stripes and are slightly smaller than honey bees. They’re particularly good at pollinating plants in the pea family, including alfalfa, which requires a special technique that honey bees often avoid. Alkali bees are gentle and rarely sting people.
16. Stingless Bees
Stingless bees comprise 462 to 552 described species that belong to the tribe Meliponini. They have stingers, but they are highly reduced and cannot be used for defense, though some have strong mandibles and can inflict painful bites.
Stingless bees are fascinating insects found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Colony size typically amounts to tens of thousands of individuals and they can be kept similarly to honeybees for honey production.
This type of bee has been important to human cultures for thousands of years, especially among indigenous peoples in Central and South America who have kept them for honey production. While they can’t sting, some species can bite with their strong jaws if threatened. They’re excellent pollinators in their native ranges.
17. Cellophane Bees
Colletidae are solitary bees that use a clear biological plastic to line their nests and keep water out, which gives them the common name of “cellophane bees” or “plasterer bees”.
Cellophane bees get their name from the waterproof lining they create in their nests, which looks remarkably like clear plastic wrap. They use their mouthparts to smooth the walls of their cells with secretions that dry into a waterproof, cellophane-like lining.
This type of bee often looks very similar to other ground-nesting bees, making them tricky to identify. They’re generally active in early spring and are important pollinators of many native plants. Like most solitary bees, they’re gentle creatures that rarely cause problems for people.
18. Long-Horned Bees
Long-horned bees or digger bees are burrowing bees known for the extremely long antennae of the males.
Long-horned bees are easy to identify if you see a male, thanks to their incredibly long antennae that can be longer than their entire body. This type of bee includes many species that are active at different times of year, with some specializing in particular types of flowers.
The females look much more like typical bees, with normal-length antennae. These bees are excellent pollinators and many species are active late in the season when other bees are winding down. They’re generally docile and nest in the ground or in plant stems.
19. Resin Bees
A suite of megachilid bees rely on plant resins for nest construction. These “resin bees” are typically smaller than honey bees and are effective pollinators.
Resin bees are master builders that collect sticky plant resins to construct their nests. This type of bee often has specialized structures for carrying the gooey resin, and you might sometimes see them with dark, sticky-looking material on their bodies.
These bees are important pollinators, though the hard glue-like resins can complicate management for people trying to help them with artificial nest sites. They’re generally small, gentle bees that rarely cause problems and provide valuable pollination services.
20. Orchard Mason Bees
Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the orchard mason bee or blue orchard bee, is used for early spring fruit bloom in the United States and Canada.
Orchard mason bees are the darlings of the fruit-growing world. A female can fill an average of four six-inch tubes in her lifetime, with about eight eggs per tube, making nearly 60,000 blossom visits.
This type of bee is perfect for home orchards and gardens because they’re active exactly when fruit trees are blooming in early spring. They’re incredibly gentle, rarely sting, and readily use artificial nest boxes. Many people successfully raise orchard mason bees to improve pollination in their gardens and small orchards.
