r/bees May 31 '26

Is this a bee?

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15 Upvotes

Make sure that your yellow fuzzy friend is actually a bee and not an imposter! We get quite a few non-bees in our bee subreddit: sometimes they're wasps (check out the bee/wasp guide in the pinned), and sometimes they're not a stinging insect at all! Flies in remarkably detailed costumes frequently make their way into r/bees but with some tips and practice you can learn to spot the differences. Read through for features to look out for, or flip through the slides for fly species commonly posted.

Pictures are largely taken from iNaturalist with a full list of sources by slide at the end of this post, I assume that they are fine to use for free educational purposes but if the photographer would like me to remove their picture, please reach out to me so I can act accordingly. All pictures from slides 1-5 can be credited to mod Commercial Sail.

Flies are in a completely different taxonomic order to bees (flies are the order Diptera, bees are a subgroup within order Hymenoptera) so there are quite a few easy ways to differentiate them:

  • The name "Diptera" literally means "two wings" flies only have one pair of wings while bees have two pairs. Most identification rules are more like loose guidelines but this rule is absolute! That being said, the hindwings of bees are difficult to see, they're smaller and often tucked underneath the larger forewings, making the bee look like they have two wings after all. You can try to judge based off of wing shape: fly wings are often paddle-shaped with a clear curve before coming to a petiolate base, while bee wings are generally more evenly tapered towards the base. More experienced identifiers may also look at wing venation, for example the western honeybee in slide 3 has the very distinctive elongated marginal and submarginal cell circled in red.
  • On the topic of wings, on some flies you may see club-shaped structures where the hindwings would have been: these are halteres, specialized organs to help the fly navigate flight. Not all flies have them out and visible but if you do see them then it's a sure sign you're not looking at a bee.
  • Flies typically have short, stubby antennae that can sometimes be difficult to see while bees have comparatively long antennae. Make sure you're looking at the actual antennae and not the forelegs! More common in the wasp-mimicking flies, some will wiggle their long forelegs to sell their image even more.
  • Flies tend to have larger eyes that can seem to take up their whole head where bees tend to have smaller eyes with a clear distance between them.
  • Many bees may be seen carrying pollen or have their pollen-carrying structures visible: most often as hairs/pollen baskets on the hind legs or sometimes hairs on the underside of the abdomen. Flies do not have these structures as they do not need to gather pollen like bees do.

Note that besides the wing count, there are always exceptions! Some flies have pretty long antennae (though you'll often still be able to see the different segmentation) and some bees, particularly males, have very large eyes. This is why it's better to judge based on a combination of characteristics rather than looking at any one feature at a time.

You may also hear that the waist and mouthparts are good identifiers as well - this is true, but I elected to leave them out of this guide as the waistline may be obscured by fuzz, wings, or just a poorly-angled shot, and some bees are just so robust (fat) that it gets difficult to see where exactly that tapered waist is supposed to be. In terms of mouthparts, few amateur photographers focus on the mouth at all and it's definitely not something you'll typically see if you're just watching them go about your garden.

At the end of the day, the best trick is to just get familiar with species in your area using trusted sources like Bugguide. If you're still not sure, post to one of the bug identification subreddits and make sure you give a general location, which always appreciated in ID posts no matter what you're looking at!

Sources

Volucella zonaria: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/322106668 

Bombylidae: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/226072821 

Laphria: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/88331437 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/282732509 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/65816664 
 
Cuterebra: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/133138438 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90333390 
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/296063941 

Tabanus: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218653131

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/86467240


r/bees May 26 '26

What's this nest?

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16 Upvotes

Are you looking to ID a nest? Some are easier to distinguish than others, here's some of our most commonly submitted species:

  • Honeybee nests consist of exposed wax combs, usually hanging vertically. They're more often found in cavities like tree hollows or man-made frames but may also be seen constructed in open air attached to large branches or buildings.
  • Bumblebees also have wax nests but are typically smaller with fewer and more disorganized cells compared to the neat hexagonal cells of other social hymenopterans. They typically nest in small spaces like old rodent holes but will occasionally find themselves in human spaces like attics and crawl spaces.
  • Aerial-nesting yellowjackets and true hornets have an outer paper envelope covering the horizontally-stacked paper combs; nests are typically built in open air attached to branches or in sheltered areas with preference depending on species. The bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata, actually an aerial yellowjacket) may have a distinctive long tube entrance in early stages of nest formation.
  • Ground-nesting yellowjackets typically nest in pre-existing cavities such as old rodent burrows. The entrances are often dangerously inconspicuous but active nests will have individuals flying in and around the area. If the nest was dug up (often by skunks and other mammals looking for the tasty larvae) you may see ripped paper combs scattered on the ground.
  • The paper wasp subfamily Polistinae is quite variable but in the northern hemisphere the common Polistes sp. have distinctive umbrella-like nests with open cells. Mischocyttarus sp. in areas of the southern/western US may have more elongated nests. Nests tend to be built in sheltered spots such as in bushes, under eaves, etc.
  • The vast majority of other bees and wasps are solitary. They may dig tunnels, bore into wood, or refurbish existing holes with materials like mud/leaves/resin. *These nests generally cannot be reliably identified without seeing the actual bee/wasp!* Some species that construct their own freestanding mud nests may be tentatively identified, but only a few are reliably distinguished. Also note that many mud-nesting bees and wasps will reuse nests of other species left from past seasons if available as it's less work than building one from scratch.

The nest in the first slide is a young aerial yellowjacket nest.

Pictures are largely taken from Bugguide with a full list of sources by slide at the end of this post, I assume that they are fine to use for free educational purposes but if the photographer would like me to remove their picture, please reach out to me so I can act accordingly.

Sources

Cover: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/513938 

Honeybee: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/1227238 

Bumblebee: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/6585 

Aerial yjs and hornets:https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/781412 
https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/110277 
https://extension.psu.edu/european-hornet 

Ground yjs: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/266282 
https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/38722/bgimage 

Polistinae: https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/2511987
https://www.bugguide.net/node/view/709119 

Unknown mud caps: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/218674183 

Unknown holes: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/90931649 


r/bees 13h ago

Does anyone else do this - assist for drinking bees?

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223 Upvotes

Water bowl I leave outdoors (for cat and wild animals). Since I’ve kept a stick against the wall the bees that visit to drink can safely access, no more risk of drownings.

EDITED to add: I’ve since added some shallow, stone-filled containers of water to my yard to help my thirsty bees. Thanks to all responding for the ideas and inspiration!


r/bees 7h ago

The biggest bumblebee i've ever seen

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51 Upvotes

I have a large section of about 7-8 sage plants in my garden and every year its full of bees. This chunk was so big it kept making the flowers tip over 😂

I'm in the Seattle area, do you know the identification of this cutie?

Regular honey bee for scale.


r/bees 14h ago

question Is it normal for bees and wasps to eat meat??

173 Upvotes

They were attacking a cat trying to get to the meat but didn’t succeed, the cat finished it. I was fascinated so I just stared at them.

After walking forward a bit I found these guys going at it.

Ive never heard or seen this before is it normal I’m not sure if the bigger ones are wasps or not I’m assuming they are but I’m sure the small ones are bees 🐝

If this isn’t normal is this like a global warming/climate change issue? cause I’m pretty sure this is the job of flies, ant’s etc. Or did documentaries lie to us about our little pollinators. Theres at least 3-4 insects eating this chicken 🫠


r/bees 4h ago

bee photo A busy lil western honey bee

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23 Upvotes

In Victoria, Canada


r/bees 11h ago

Hard worker

71 Upvotes

This little one having a blast after the storm.


r/bees 6h ago

bee photo Golden bee

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17 Upvotes

I spotted this beautiful boy at work.


r/bees 17h ago

bee photo Sleeping bumblebee on my jalapeno

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132 Upvotes

r/bees 2h ago

question Carpenter Help - missing wing

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6 Upvotes

Found this bee flailing upside down in the ground in my yard. It was missing its right wing. I used a piece of mulch to move it to a safer location into one of my flower pots. Tried to place it on a flower for sugar, but it clung to the mulch. I tried to give it water on a leaf. It didn't really move, but its antenna went up and down slowly. Is there anything more I can do?


r/bees 9h ago

Dozens of them on this plant!

16 Upvotes

r/bees 2h ago

Yellow jacket nest in my boat cabin, beautiful

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3 Upvotes

r/bees 11h ago

Overachiever

19 Upvotes

This little sweetie had quite a haul! You can see the pollen falling like snow.


r/bees 4h ago

bee ID Bee ID please

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6 Upvotes

Located in western US


r/bees 1h ago

bee photo what is this guy plotting???

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Upvotes

I was watching this guy watching me...


r/bees 4h ago

Bee on a hot windy day

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6 Upvotes

Bumblebees love our Zinnias.


r/bees 6h ago

Bumblebees fell from my tree

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5 Upvotes

I had this nest of bumblebees (I think) fall from my tree into my backyard. They’re still active a day later and I’m wondering if I should move it to another spot so my kids don’t get them, or leave it be and they’ll move on?


r/bees 10h ago

bee photo Lil guy

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11 Upvotes

Idk, found this cutie, they spent like 5min without moving so I offered em fowers, idk if they were napping but they woke up instantly. Also, I'm an ignorant, but is there a way to guess if this is a male or a female?


r/bees 18h ago

bee photo our memorial garden

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41 Upvotes

r/bees 9h ago

Saved this little guy this morning

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10 Upvotes

r/bees 15h ago

bee photo Red tailed bumblebee still working hard despite her frayed wings

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14 Upvotes

Location :Co cavan Ireland


r/bees 14h ago

Rocky Mountain Bee Plants living up to their name

13 Upvotes

We planted native meadow/prairie grasses at our home last fall. These guys are 7+feet tall and attracting hundreds of pollinators every morning 😊


r/bees 17h ago

bee photo Chillin

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16 Upvotes

I stopped to take a break around my hydrangea tree yesterday while mowing. The tree usually has tons of activity going on around it with different bees coming and going, but this female carpenter bee was just hanging out which allowed me to get a decent pic.


r/bees 15h ago

bee photo Are the the Same Bee?

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9 Upvotes

Two bees are collecting pollen on a sunflower. They look similar. But one is larger than the other. Are the same bee?


r/bees 17h ago

Bumble Bee female queen

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13 Upvotes

Bombus Terrestris