Bee Groups
There are over 4,000 species of bees and ALL of them are important for pollination! Bees are separated into 8 morphogroups and are identified by their genus and species if possible.
Honey Bee
Out of the many species of bees, honey bees are the only bees that we harvest honey from. They are also very social, living in colonies as large as 80,000 individuals and one queen. They are identified by their torpedo-shaped, tri-toned abdomen.
Bumble Bee
There are many different species of bumble bees, which can be identified by their color patterns. Bumble bees are easily identified by their robust, fury bodies. Because of their large size, they are able to withstand the early Spring and early Fall climates allowing them to be present all season.
Metallic Green Bee
Their name says it all, metallic green bees are identified by their vibrant green bodies. Males are often fully green while females have a yellow-striped abdomen.
Tiny Dark Bee
These bees are usually completely black and smaller than the finger nail on your pinky. From afar, they look like flying ants with pollen on their legs. With a trained eye, you can identify a tiny dark bee from a gnat by their flying and foraging patterns!
Medium Dark Bee
Similar to how there are many species of bumble bees, there are many species of medium dark bees. They are narrow and robust with a fuzzy head and thorax.
Striped Hairy Belly Bee
These striped fuzzy bees carry their pollen on the underside of their abdomens. In other words, they carry pollen on their hairy bellies! When on flowers, females tend to "lift" their abdomen exposing their belly.
Chap Leg Bee
These bees are easily identified by the way they carry pollen on their legs, resembling "chaps". They are velvety all over with pale bands on their abdomen.
Metallic Hairy Belly Bee
Along with bumble bees, metallic hairy belly bees are one of the first species seen in Spring. A common species seen and used in crops are mason bees! These dark, robust bees are great for pollinating crops such as apples and huckleberries.