Bees are furry pollen collectors, who rarely have any need to interact with humans. As the expression “as busy as a bee” insinuates, worker bees (usually the only type of bee most people will see) spend their lives going to and from the hive, acquiring nectar (and pollen on their bodies) during their trips. They play an integral part in the pollination of various plants, and some of them provide us with tasty honey.

There are over 25,000 known bee species, but the two most common types of bees are honey bees and bumblebees. Both produce wax, but only the honey bee produces honey.

Another big difference between the two is that the bumblebee is nearly double the size of the honeybee. Bumblebees are fat and hairy, Honey Bees are more sleek. They both are yellow with black stripes, though the bumblebee often has a red/orange or white tale. Additionally, honeybees live in large colonies, topping out at 25,000 bees. Bumblebees tend build their nests underground (though they have been found in walls), and sometimes in tunnels constructed by other animals. Their colonies are much smaller than bumblebees, only numbering into the hundreds. We will do our best to refer you to a Beekeeper for bees since we don’t want to hurt them.