Bees & Wasps
Bees and wasps range from gentle pollinators to fiercely defensive nest-builders. These guides cover honey bees, bumblebees, hornets, yellowjackets, and paper wasps, their behavior, nests, and how to stay safe around them. (22 guides.)
Bees & WaspsRead article →Top 10 Facts About Hornets: Stings, Nests, and ColoniesTop 10 Facts About Hornets starts with a correction: only one true hornet lives in the United States, and the insect most people call a "hornet" in their own backyard usually isn't
Bees & WaspsRead article →What Is the Life Cycle of Paper Wasps? From Egg to AdultWhat is the life cycle of paper wasps? It runs through four stages, egg, larva, pupa, and adult, and a single generation completes it in three to four weeks. Paper wasps get their
Bees & WaspsRead article →How to Identify Hornets: Size, Stripes, and Nest ShapeHow to identify hornets comes down to three things: size, the pattern on the abdomen, and the shape of the nest. Hornets belong to the family Vespidae, the same family as wasps and
Bees & WaspsRead article →How to Spot Yellowjackets in the Wild: Key Field MarksHow to Spot Yellowjackets in the Wild starts with the shiny, smooth body: unlike a honeybee, a yellowjacket has almost no hair, which is what lets its black-and-yellow bands read a
Bees & WaspsRead article →Where Do Honey Bees Live? Hollow Trees to RooftopsWhere do honey bees live? A wild colony of Apis mellifera nests in an enclosed cavity, typically a hollow tree trunk, though managed colonies live in wooden hive boxes that beekeep
Bees & WaspsRead article →How Do Yellowjackets Contribute to the Ecosystem?How do yellowjackets contribute to the ecosystem? Despite their reputation for ruining picnics, these black-and-yellow social wasps in the genus Vespula and Dolichovespula spend mo
Bees & WaspsRead article →What Is the Life Cycle of Bumblebees? Egg to New QueenWhat is the life cycle of bumblebees? It runs on an annual clock: a single mated queen starts a nest alone in spring, and by the following spring every bee from that colony except
Bees & WaspsRead article →What Are the Characteristics of Yellowjackets? Nest to StingWhat are the characteristics of yellowjackets? They belong to the wasp genera Vespula and Dolichovespula , in the family Vespidae, and they're built compact and hard-shelled compar
Bees & WaspsRead article →What Do Bumblebees Eat? Nectar, Pollen, and Buzz PollinationWhat do bumblebees eat? Nectar and pollen, and nothing else. Nectar supplies sugar for flight energy, while pollen supplies the protein, fat, and amino acids a colony needs to rais
Bees & WaspsRead article →How to Identify Paper Wasps: Nest Shape and Antennae CluesHow to identify paper wasps comes down to three things: an open umbrella-shaped nest with no outer covering, long legs that trail below the body in flight, and a narrow waist betwe