Key differences between Wasps and Bees.

Bees and Wasps

Three Kinds of Wasps

Three Kinds of Bees

Yellow Jacket

Paper Wasp

Baldfaced Hornet

Honeybee

Bumblebee

Carpenter

black and opaque bright yellow stripes

smooth coat

1.3 cm (1/2 inch)

Two long legs are visible hanging down during flight. no pollen baskets

Behaves aggressive

Feeds on other insects, overripe fruit, sugary drinks, human food and food waste, particularly meat

dusty yellow to dark brown or black

smooth coat

1.9–2.5 cm (3/4 to 1 inch)

Long Legs. No pollen baskets

Behaves Gentle

Feeds on other insects

black and ivory white markings

smooth coat

up to 1.9 cm (3/4 inch)

Long Legs. No pollen baskets

Behaves aggressive

Feeds on other insects

varies but generally amber to brown translucent alternating with black stripes, some are mostly black

furry (short hair)

1.3 cm (1/2 inch)

Legs are not generally visible while flying

Behaves gentle, unless hive or queen is threatened

Feeds on nectar from flowers

Stinger is barbed

yellow with black stripes, sometimes with red tail, to dark

furry (long hair)

2.5 cm (1 inch) or more

Legs are not generally visible while flying

Behaves gentle

Feeds on nectar from flowers

Stinger is smooth

Abdomen is not furry at all but is shiny.

No as furry

1/4″ to 1″

Legs are not generally visible while flying

A gentler bee

Feeds on nectar from flowers

Stinger is smooth

There are several races of domesticated honeybees with varying characteristics of honey production, disease resistance and gentleness. Since the honeybee will die after stinging, there is no advantage for a bee to sting to defend itself. Honeybees will generally only sting when the hive is directly threatened. Honeybees found in the field or on a flower will rarely sting.

Note: Americanized honeybees can be more aggressive than the more common European honeybees, but still only defend the hive.

Yellow jackets are carnivorous during the brood rearing part of the season. They feed insects to their brood, and obtain the sugar for their flight muscle energy mostly from secretions of the brood. During this time they can be attracted to traps baited with meat or fish. Near the end of summer, when brood rearing ceases and this sugar source is no longer available, yellow jackets become frantic for sugar, and can be baited with sugar based baits. They are also much more likely to visit fall flowers for nectar, than they are earlier in the season.