Bee Identification

This is where we get started in identifying what kind of bees you are dealing with. As with any insect there are exceptions to these normal characteristics so it is a process of visual inspection and general observation. Additionally, there are over450 types of bees in Virginia but these are the most common. ones. As always, if you are unsure then please give us a call before you start to treat them for your safety and those around you (including your pets).

Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Yellow Jacket

Vespula maculifrons

Carpenter

Xylocopa virginica

Paper Wasps

Polistes fuscatus

	Honey Bee	Yellow Jacket	Carpenter	Paper Wasps
Type of Insect	Bee	Wasp	Bee	Wasp
Body Shape	Robust, fuzzy	Smooth, compact	Large, robust	Long, slender
Hairiness	Very hairy	Almost hairless	Hairy thorax, shiny abdomen	Sparse Hair
Average Length	12–15 mm	10–16 mm	18–25 mm	15–25 mm
Color Pattern	Golden-brown with black bands	Bright yellow and black	Black, metallic blue, or green	Brown, reddish, or yellow markings
Abdomen Appearance	Hairy	Smooth and shiny	Shiny and hairless	Smooth and narrow
Main Food (Adults)	Nectar and pollen	Insects, meat, sweets	Nectar and pollen	Nectar and insects
Pollinator Value	Excellent	Low–moderate	Excellent	Moderate
Produces Honey	Yes	No	No	No
Produces Wax	Yes	No	No	Paper-like material
Nest Material	Wax comb	Chewed wood pulp	Excavated wood tunnels	Chewed wood pulp
Nest Location	Hives, cavities	Underground, walls, voids	Untreated wood	Under eaves, branches, structures
Colony Size	10,000–60,000+	Hundreds to thousands	Usually solitary	Usually 10–200
Overwintering	Entire colony survives	Only queen survives	Adults overwinter individually	Only queen survives
Aggressiveness	Low–moderate	High	Very low	Moderate
Sting Frequency	Usually defensive	Readily stings	Rare	Defensive near nest
Can Sting Multiple Times?	No (workers die)	Yes	Yes	Yes