Read more: How to Safely Get Rid of Wasps Without Getting Stung

One easy thing to remember is that bees can only sting once before dying, while wasps can (and do!) sting multiple times. These yellow and black insects are easily confused for each other and while they’re closely related (both belonging to the insect order Hymenoptera), a few key traits set them apart. How to tell the difference between bees and waspsīefore we get into bees, it’s important to understand the differences between bees and wasps. You’ll get a clear breakdown below with simple tips for IDing them, including pictures, descriptions, and behavioral characteristics that differentiate each species. But how can you tell what’s what?īookmark this helpful visual guide, which can help you identify the most common types of bees found in your backyard. That’s why if you do come across an aggressive bee and get stung, it’s more likely that you accidentally smushed it or mistook it for a wasp (like a yellowjacket). They’re interested in the plants in your lawn and garden, and prefer to keep to themselves, visiting flowers and feeding on nectar. Most bees are not aggressive and are not interested in people at all. Of these, only 8 species of bees produce honey, and none of them are native to the US-though we do have 4,000 other bee species that are native. They help pollinate 80 percent of flowering plants and 75 percent of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts grown in the United States.īut while most people think of the common honeybee when they think of bees or pollinators, honeybees are only a tiny segment of many thousand species of bees found in the world.Ībout 20,000 different species, in fact. It goes without saying that bees are vital to the balance of ecosystems across the globe.

Wasp with white stripes on stinger