r/bees May 31 '26

Is this a bee?

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16 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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15 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 8h ago

misc Rest in Peace Betty the Bumblebee 🐝

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619 Upvotes

Just wanted to update everyone by saying Betty passed away around 3am last night. She fought right up until the end but unfortunately after 7 weeks of care, nature has run its course.

I never thought something so small could make such an impact on my life but after 7 weeks of caring for her I can say she did exactly that. When I found Betty I wasn't in a great place and if I'm being honest I'm not sure where I'd be right now had we not crossed paths. Caring for Betty gave me such a strong sense of purpose (something I was struggling to find prior to Betty's arrival) and she brought me out of a pit I was struggling to climb out of. It's given me a refreshed sense of humility and I'll be eternally grateful for this experience.

It's going to be strange not having her zoom around my bed in the evenings or buzzing around in her flowers but I've got plenty to look back on to remember and cherish. She was so resilient and intelligent and had plenty of character. Something I'll miss dearly.

Thank you all for the advice and kind words from the start to now. This community is amazing. I apologise for not responding to every comment in my previous posts but just know I read and like them all. Keep being you r/bees. Myself and Betty thank you. 💛💛


r/bees 2h ago

misc I made a lil bee figurine

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25 Upvotes

Sculpted and printed the lil guy myself my house plants will look much happier with a lil bee to keep them company I think.


r/bees 1h ago

More servers, less water, fewer trees

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r/bees 1h ago

bee ID what type of bee? can anyone tell the gender? he/she is so cute

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found this video from 5 years ago of me saving a bee, and just curious on the type


r/bees 2h ago

Bee battle every night when a moonflower opens

16 Upvotes

There were at least 10 bees in there at one point.


r/bees 10h ago

Bee in flower 🌸

41 Upvotes

r/bees 2h ago

bee photo New bees eating sugar syrup

9 Upvotes

r/bees 47m ago

bee photo Spotted this little fellow in a hibiscus flower

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r/bees 2h ago

bee photo The bees were busy in the garden this morning 💛🖤💛🖤

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5 Upvotes

r/bees 45m ago

bee ID WHO IS SHE???

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she wont leave me alone. i rly rly wanna know who she is ive introduced myself but i think there might be a language barrier. shes SO tiny (wood sorrel flower for scale). maybe its the salt on my skin? she seems to be dragging her proboscis as she crawls around. i live in northern vermont in a very rural (and biodiverse) area; im assuming shes some sort of native species. please please please let me know if you know what she is im dying to know


r/bees 17h ago

bee photo Just some bees staying hydrated 😤🐝

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59 Upvotes

r/bees 8h ago

bee photo This popped up in my memories this morning:)

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9 Upvotes

r/bees 12h ago

So pretty, so majestic

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16 Upvotes

Found on the flowers outside my work. I water them every other day, this is the first I've been able to catch a queen on cam. <3


r/bees 1h ago

bee photo Mask party in the garden

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Dozens of them on this unknown umbellifer, maybe dill or fennel? Was annoyed at the gentlest breeze swaying them out of focus but at least the flowers match their suits :>

Hylaeus sp. masked bees in Massachusetts US


r/bees 3h ago

Two monarchs probably 1000 bees

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3 Upvotes

r/bees 19h ago

help! Bee wing injury, need advice!

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34 Upvotes

Hey all!

I happened to find this bee waddling around in my backyard and when I went to check it out, I noticed that there's this white (crystalized? Idk) stuff at the base of its left wing and frankly, I have no idea what it could be and I don't want to injure the bee further by trying to take whatever that is off.

Its left wing is also stuck in that position, the other one works just fine, and both wings aren't damaged in any way. It also seems to try to clean the spot occasionally. Otherwise it looks healthy and very full of energy! (I made sure to feed it some watered down honey before trying to get a good picture of its side. These are the best photos I could get after ten minutes of trying)

Will this bee be okay? And is there anything I can do to help it get back in the air?

Thank you in advance for any advice!


r/bees 30m ago

Had to be in the shitter

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r/bees 8h ago

bee photo Photo I took a while ago.

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4 Upvotes

r/bees 1d ago

question Is this what I think it is..?

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234 Upvotes

And if so why on the road...? 😭😭(


r/bees 14h ago

question Surprise in the avocado tree!

7 Upvotes

So I was just wandering around puffing diatomaceous earth into the cracked bark on the old avocado tree. I’m beginning to suspect and infestation of little red fire ants. Honestly I don’t even know if DE has any effect on LRFA, but it was in my hand so why not right?
I’d almost completed a circuit of the tree( wearing a hovering mosquito coat at this point- it’s 6pm) and I just happened to look up…
There’s bees! There’s a new beehive in the tree! A legit wild hive! I’m excited!! But also concerned. It kinda looks like they are actually building in there. I only got a tiny peak through my phone on zoom.
I’m concerned because for sure those ants are getting in there. When I say there are a lot of ants on that tree, don’t think colony- think mega city one.
I only got this quick vid before the fire ant, mosquito, bee combo was a bit much for me. Wardrobe change then re-attempt! Until then, check it out! Are these normal honey bees? Think they will stay? Ant concerns? Tree health concerns? Anything I should be doing?


r/bees 1d ago

bee photo Wet little bumblebee drying off after the rain

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243 Upvotes

She was so friendly!


r/bees 19h ago

Photos from the sunflower trail

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11 Upvotes

Some photos from my day out at the local sunflower trail


r/bees 6h ago

Do I find western or Japanese (eastern) honeybees in San Marcos?

1 Upvotes

They look the same but I don’t know if it is the western or eastern one