12 Types of Bees in US Gardens, and How to Tell Them Apart: 9 in 10 Species Live Alone, Not in a Hive

The bee in a squash flower at sunrise probably isn’t a honey bee. NC State Extension describes a native squash bee that starts visiting those flowers around sunrise, before other bees are active, and nests in the soil, often right under the plants.

Most bees follow that pattern. USGS counts about 4,000 bee species native to the United States, and the NC State Extension identification guide puts about 90 percent of bee species as solitary and about 70 percent as ground nesters. Honey bees, like bumble bees, are exceptions on both counts: they live in colonies and use existing cavities instead of digging their own nest tunnels. USGS notes that European settlers brought the honey bee, and Colorado State Extension dates its arrival to the early 1600s.

This guide covers twelve types you can find in a US garden: how to recognize each, what it nests in, whether it stings, and which flowers the extension guides link to it. It also shows how to tell bees from the flies and wasps that copy them, why some bees can do what honey bees can’t, and what to watch for if your bees are in trouble. For building habitat, see our guides to bee hotels and ground-nesting bee habitat, and the pollinator garden guide.

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The 12 Types of Bees at a Glance

Two clues sort most garden bees faster than color: where the pollen rides and where the bee lives. Honey bees and bumble bees carry pollen in baskets on the hind legs and live in colonies; mason, leafcutter and wool carder bees carry it on the underside of the abdomen and live alone. The two tables below put all twelve side by side. Lengths and seasons come from extension guides in Utah, Illinois, Colorado and Wisconsin, so they vary by region; use them to narrow the field, not as a ruler.

The habits table matters more for your garden, because nest site decides what you can leave alone. The sting column repeats group-wide statements from the sources; none of them measured stings species by species.

If you can’t match a bee to a row, match the clue instead. This key is our own synthesis of the sources below:

• A bee in a squash flower at dawn: squash bee.
• Neat round discs cut out of leaves: leafcutter bee.
• A small soil mound in thin lawn in spring: mining bee or cellophane bee; the guides call them hard to tell apart.
• A big black bee hovering at a hole in a post or deck: carpenter bee. A hairy abdomen instead means a bumble bee.
• A stocky yellow-striped bee tackling other bees over lamb’s ear: wool carder male.
• A metallic green bee landing on your arm: sweat bee.
• A slender, wasp-like bee hovering low over other bees’ holes: cuckoo bee.

Hive Bees: Honey Bees and Bumble Bees

Two types in this list are the classic colony builders, and they are the two most people can name.

Honey bee (Apis mellifera): the best known, and not native

A honey bee is a medium bee, about ½ inch, with a hairy head and thorax. Colors run from orange to nearly black, so stripes alone won’t confirm it, according to Utah State University Extension. The better clue is the cargo: NC State Extension says workers pack compact balls of pollen onto flat hind legs, a basket that bumble bees share. A single colony can number tens of thousands. Cornell calls honey bees generalist pollinators that visit crops from apples to peppers. They matter, but they are one tool among many, as the buzz-pollination section below shows.

Bumble bees (Bombus): fuzzy, with a colony that lasts one season

Look for a robust, very hairy bee, mostly ¾ to 1 inch long, banded in black with yellow, orange or white. Washington State University gives a size range down to 0.4 inch for the smaller species. Illinois Extension puts a colony at 50 to 400 bees; the colony dies off at the end of summer, and only mated queens hibernate. Species vary by region. WSU names the yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) as a garden bee across most of Washington, and UC’s Real Dirt says it has yellow on the face and a yellow band near the abdomen tip. Colorado State Extension flags the common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) as non-native in Colorado, where it is managed for greenhouse crops.

One species earns a special look. The rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) has a rusty reddish patch at the center of the abdomen on workers and males, and NPR reports it became the first bee in the continental United States listed as endangered. A bumble bee with that patch would be a rare find: NPR reports the species has been seen in only 13 states and Ontario since 2000.

Cavity Nesters: Mason, Leafcutter, Carpenter and Wool Carder Bees

These four nest above ground, in holes that already exist or in wood they chew themselves.

Mason bees (Osmia): early-spring fruit-tree workers

Mason bees are stout, with a wide round abdomen, and many are metallic blue or green; the blue orchard bee is deep metallic blue. They fly in early spring, before most other pollinators, and Oregon State Extension says they pollinate about 95 percent of the flowers they visit. In the Mid-Atlantic, Penn State Extension says adults are active for roughly six to eight weeks from mid-April. Females carry pollen on the underside of the abdomen, stock each cell with a pea-sized pollen mass and seal it with mud, so they need a muddy spot near the nest. Our bee hotel guide covers what the research says about tubes.

Leafcutter bees (Megachile): the neat round holes in leaves

Neat round discs cut out of leaves are the work of a leafcutter bee. Wisconsin Extension explains that females cut the discs with scissor-like jaws to line nest chambers, and Utah State calls the damage cosmetic. The bee is ¼ to ½ inch long and carries pollen on a fuzzy underside, a quick way to spot one on a flower. Wisconsin says leafcutters nest in hollow stems and in holes in wood made by other insects rather than burrows, though NC State lists soil among the genus’s nest sites. Utah State lists alfalfa, clovers and lupines as favorites. One caution from the Pacific Northwest handbook: leaf pieces the bees collect can carry insecticide residue into the nest.

Carpenter bees (Xylocopa): big and black where bumble bees are fuzzy

The quickest test is the top of the abdomen: bare and shiny on a large carpenter bee, hairy on a bumble bee. Large carpenter bees reach about ¾ inch and chew nest tunnels in wood, including buildings. Cornell notes that males hover in front of nests, and Utah State says male bees lack a stinger. Utah State adds that short mouthparts lead carpenter bees to tear the side of deep flowers to rob nectar, and the Michigan State blueberry factsheet reports them cutting slits in blueberry flowers. Small carpenter bees (Ceratina) are about ¼ inch, shiny and dark, and nest in pithy stems. For deck damage and look-alike checks, see our carpenter bee guide.

Wool carder bees (Anthidium): the territorial import

A wool carder is wasp-like but stocky and hairy, which is how Utah State separates it from a wasp; Colorado State adds that its yellow stripes never connect in the middle. Males are larger than females, an unusual trait in bees, and defend flower patches by chasing or tackling other insects; Colorado State calls them harmless to humans. Females scrape fuzz from lamb’s ear to line nest cells. The most commonly seen species, Anthidium manicatum, was introduced from Europe and Colorado State calls it well established. It is not the only introduced bee: Cornell lists the alfalfa leafcutter bee and the Japanese orchard bee as non-native species brought in to pollinate crops.

Ground Nesters: Sweat, Mining, Squash, Long-Horned and Cellophane Bees

About 70 percent of bee species nest in the ground, so this is where most of your garden’s bee diversity lives. We cover soil preparation in the ground-nesting habitat guide; this section is for recognition.

Sweat bees (Halictidae): small, many metallic, drawn to salt

Sweat bees include the metallic green flash on your arm in summer. UF/IFAS says most species are dull to metallic black and the rest metallic green, blue or purple, and that they usually nest in bare soil in a sunny spot. Their social life ranges from solitary to colonies led by a queen, and can differ within one species. Utah State notes they are attracted to perspiration. UF/IFAS lists sunflower among their crop plants, and its photo captions show them on goldenrod and lanceleaf coreopsis.

Mining bees (Andrena): spring’s first bees, with a soil mound as the giveaway

Illinois Extension says mining bees are among the first to emerge in spring. Look for a black or brown head, pale hairs on the thorax and an abdomen that often has white stripes. The nest gives them away: Utah State describes a small mound or turret at the entrance in thin or patchy lawn, and Cornell describes the nests of ground-nesting bees, Colletes included, as cones of dirt with a hole in the middle. Michigan State says several Andrena species are excellent blueberry pollinators and one visits blueberry exclusively. Cornell calls them important pollinators of apples, blueberries and cherries and says it doesn’t consider them pests; if you must, it adds, watering over the nest area is usually enough to make them look elsewhere.

Squash bees (Peponapis): the dawn specialist

A squash bee is larger and bulkier than a honey bee, with longer antennae and a rounder face. Females have very fuzzy hind legs covered in loose pollen; males have a yellow spot on the face. NC State Extension says it takes only 6 to 10 visits to fully pollinate a squash flower, and the bees finish before many other bees start, because the flowers open near dawn and wilt around midday. They gather pollen only from squash relatives (Cucurbita), not cucumbers. If you ever hand-pollinate zucchini, do it in the morning.

Tilling is the risk. NC State cites a census of 25 farms with three times more squash bees on no-till farms, and a second study of 20 farms that found no such effect, so the evidence is mixed. It also reports an 89 percent drop in squash bee reproductive success where squash were treated with the systemic insecticide imidacloprid as a soil drench.

Long-horned bees (Melissodes): sunflower and aster bees from mid-summer on

Males carry the antennae that give the group its name. These are hairy, medium to large bees, usually brown or gray with pale bands, and Illinois Extension says they fly from mid-summer through fall, most active in the morning and early afternoon, with a preference for sunflowers and asters. Utah State adds squashes, pumpkins and melons, and notes that females dig deep tunnels and sometimes share nest entrances. Squash bees belong to the same tribe, so a long-antennaed bee in squash blossoms is likely a relative.

Cellophane bees (Colletes): mining-bee look-alikes with a plastic lining

Cellophane bees (also called polyester or plasterer bees) line their burrows with a waterproof secretion, one of the first bioplastics discovered, which lets them nest in moist soil other bees can’t use. Utah State says they are hard to tell from some mining bees. Cornell reports one species, Colletes inaequalis, nesting by the hundreds or thousands in sandy soil on south-facing slopes, each female with her own burrow. Illinois Extension says many cellophane bees are specialists on a small range of plants.

Cuckoo bees (Nomada): the type that builds no nest

A cuckoo bee is slender and wasp-like, with little hair and no pollen-carrying structures. Females hover near other species’ nests and lay eggs in them, and the larvae eat the food the host supplied. USGS puts such cuckoo bees at about 20 to 25 percent of native bees. Cuckoo bees depend on a host species, so seeing one suggests mining bees or other hosts are nesting nearby (our inference, not a measured rule).

Bee, Hoverfly or Wasp? Four Field Marks

Check eyes, antennae, waist and legs, in that order. Hoverflies fail mainly on the eyes and antennae; wasps, including yellowjackets, fail mainly on the waist and legs. The University of Illinois I-Pollinate guide is explicit that color alone can’t separate them, because some flies copy bee colors.

Two extras help. A fly has one pair of wings and bees and wasps have two pairs, though that is hard to see on a resting insect. Hoverflies hover in place, while most bees don’t. Exceptions exist: Colorado State notes wool carders often hover, Cornell describes male carpenter bees hovering at nests, and Utah State says female cuckoo bees hover near other bees’ nests. Treat behavior as a tiebreaker. Wasps are mostly predators, so a yellow-and-black insect working a flower for pollen is more likely a bee or a fly.

Why Native Bees Pollinate Differently: Buzz Pollination

Bumble bees and carpenter bees can buzz-pollinate and honey bees can’t. Brooklyn Botanic Garden reports about half of all bee species can do it. The bee grasps the flower, curls around the anthers and shakes with its flight muscles, which pushes pollen out through pores in the anther wall. It is the shaking, not the sound, that releases the pollen. Around 20,000 flowering plant species are buzz-pollinated, including tomatoes, eggplants and blueberries; Washington State University adds peppers and cranberries.

That doesn’t mean your tomatoes fail without bumble bees. Brooklyn Botanic Garden notes tomatoes are self-pollinating, and the pollen needs shaking out by wind or, preferably, by certain bees. Colorado State says the common eastern bumble bee is managed to pollinate most greenhouse crops, tomatoes included.

Blueberries show the full picture. The Michigan State factsheet says most Michigan growers bring in managed honey bee hives, while bumble bees and miner bees (Andrena) are also highly efficient. Large bees such as bumble bees and carpenter bees stay more active in cool, cloudy weather than honey bees do, so on a bad bloom week the mix of bees decides how many flowers get visited. The lesson isn’t honey bee against native bee; native bees cover the cold, cloudy days and the flowers honey bees can’t shake.

Carrying style differs too. NC State says honey bees pack pollen into compact balls, while squash bees carry it loose all over their hind legs. Mason bees and leafcutters carry it on a belly brush. Extension pages report the results, such as 6 to 10 squash bee visits per flower and Oregon State’s 95 percent for mason bees, but the pages cited here give no side-by-side per-visit comparison for garden flowers, so we won’t claim one.

Do They Sting? An Honest Risk Ranking

Most bees in this list sting only when grabbed, squashed or trapped; honey bees and wasps, which defend colonies, are the likelier stingers. USGS says very few native bees sting, and Illinois Extension says native bees are generally much more reluctant to sting than honey bees and wasps, usually only when squished or handled. Here is our reading of the sources, from most to least likely:

1. Honey bees and wasps: they defend a colony, and Illinois Extension ranks them as more willing to sting than native bees.
2. Bumble bees: queens and workers can sting, but the UC page says they are not aggressive and rarely sting.
3. Females of solitary bees: they sting rarely and mostly when handled, according to Cornell and Illinois Extension.
4. Males of any bee: Utah State says male bees lack a stinger, so territorial male carpenter and wool carder bees can threaten but not sting.

Cornell adds that ground-nesting bees nesting by the hundreds do not attempt to sting people unless handled. Anyone with a known sting allergy should still treat every nest and every dense swarm as off limits; this guide can’t judge an individual’s risk.

What Each Group Needs From Your Garden

Where a bee nests decides what you leave alone: ground nesters need bare, sunny, undisturbed soil, stem and wood nesters need hollow stems and dead wood, and bumble bees need cavities and a long run of flowers.

• Ground nesters (sweat, mining, squash, long-horned, cellophane): UF/IFAS says sweat bees typically nest in bare soil in a sunny spot and recommends minimal tillage and insecticide. Cornell notes Colletes inaequalis favors sandy soil on south-facing slopes. NC State’s identification guide says depth of organic matter, soil texture, moisture and sun all matter, but few studies have measured preferences.
• Stem and wood nesters (mason, leafcutter, small carpenter): NC State says wood-nesting and stem-nesting bees often accept artificial bee hotels. Leave dead stems and dead wood standing where you can; our native bee habitat guide covers stem heights.
• Bumble bees: Utah State says they nest in abandoned rodent holes and other existing burrows. NPR quotes the federal listing rule that the rusty patched bumble bee needs a constant, diverse supply of blooming flowers because it emerges early and hibernates late. Our perennial flowers for pollinators and pollinator garden planner guides map the bloom sequence.

Pesticide timing

Avoid sprays during bloom; if you must treat, spray in the evening. The Pacific Northwest handbook says to choose products not labeled toxic or highly toxic to bees, avoid insecticides whose residues stay toxic to bees for more than eight hours, and mow blooming weeds such as dandelion and clover before spraying. Evening timing protects foragers but not ground nesters. NC State warns that systemic insecticides applied before flowering can still be present in squash pollen, and that bees developing in underground cells are exposed to chemicals applied to the soil at any time of year.

Signs Your Bees Are in Trouble, and How to Count Them

The documented declines are real, but they are measured across regions, not in one garden. The rusty patched bumble bee was found in 31 states and Canadian provinces before the mid to late 1990s and, NPR reports, in only 13 states and Ontario since 2000, with an 88 percent decline in populations and an 87 percent loss of territory. Utah State’s guide reports declining populations in 28 percent of bumble bees, 50 percent of leafcutter bees and 27 percent of mason bees. No source we checked sets a garden-scale threshold, so the useful tools are a baseline and a few warning signs.

• Count on a schedule. The Great Sunflower Project says five minutes watching one flowering plant is enough for a useful observation, and that repeated counts from familiar places show change over time. Count the same plant, at the same time of day, each week.
• Watch for foragers missing from a normally attractive bloom. The Pacific Northwest handbook lists that as a sign of poisoning in honey bee colonies, along with dead and dying bees, bees unable to leave flowers and “crawlers” that can’t fly. It adds that wild bees show many of the same symptoms but, without a marked hive or nest, poisonings can easily go unobserved.
• Tell weather from decline. One rainy week proves nothing; our rule of thumb is that a drop which repeats against your own baseline, with no weather reason, is the signal worth acting on.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many types of bees are there in the United States?

About 4,000 bee species are native to the United States, out of nearly 20,000 worldwide, according to USGS. A garden usually hosts several of the groups described above.

Are most bees social, like honey bees?

No. NC State Extension puts about 90 percent of bee species as solitary, and Illinois Extension reports the same share for its native bees. Honey bees and bumble bees are the best-known colony builders; some sweat bees form queen-led colonies too.

Is the honey bee native to the United States?

No. USGS says European settlers brought honey bees to the country, and Colorado State dates it to the early 1600s. The wool carder bee is also non-native.

Which bees can sting?

Females of most bee groups carry a stinger but rarely use it unless handled, and male bees lack a stinger. Honey bees and wasps are the ones to avoid near a nest.

How do I tell a bee from a hoverfly or wasp?

Check the eyes (huge on a hoverfly), the antennae (short on a hoverfly), the waist (many wasps have a pinched one) and the legs (hairier on a bee than on a wasp), per I-Pollinate and Colorado State.

Are bees nesting in my lawn a problem?

Cornell does not consider ground-nesting bees pests and suggests leaving them. If you must, it adds, watering over the nest area is usually enough to make them look elsewhere.

Sources

1. U.S. Geological Survey. The Buzz on Native Bees (linked in text)
2. NC State Extension. The Bees of North Carolina: An Identification Guide, 2020 (linked in text)
3. NC State Extension. Squash Bees, Entomology Insect Notes (linked in text)
4. Mason L, Sayre-Chavez B, O’Brien C, Seshadri A. A Beginner’s Field Guide to Identifying Bees. Colorado State University Extension and USDA ARS (linked in text)
5. Zesiger C, Cohen E, Jarvis H, Spears L, Ramirez R. Beginner’s Guide to Common Native Bees. Utah State University Extension, 2021 (linked in text)
6. Illinois Extension. Native Bees (linked in text)
7. University of Illinois. Identifying Pollinators. I-Pollinate (linked in text)
8. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. NY Bee Diversity, Cornell Pollinator Network (linked in text)
9. Washington State University. Apidae: Bumble Bees (Bombus spp.), HortSense (linked in text)
10. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Bumble Bees in the Garden, The Real Dirt (linked in text)
11. Kennedy M. U.S. Puts Bumblebee On The Endangered Species List For 1st Time. NPR, 11 January 2017 (linked in text)
12. Oregon State University Extension. Nurturing Mason Bees in Your Backyard in Western Oregon, EM 9130, 2016 (linked in text)
13. Penn State Extension. Orchard Pollination: Solitary (Mason) Bees (linked in text)
14. Extension Dane County, University of Wisconsin. There Are Holes in My Leaves!, 2025 (linked in text)
15. Michigan State University. Michigan Blueberry Pollination, Integrated Crop Pollination Project (linked in text)
16. Hass E. The Buzz Behind Your Summer Tomatoes. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2023 (linked in text)
17. UF/IFAS Extension. Sweat Bees, Halictid Bees, Halictidae, EENY499 (linked in text)
18. Melathopoulos A, Johansen E. How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides. Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks, Oregon State University (linked in text)
19. The Great Sunflower Project. About (linked in text)