14 Types Of Bees & Wasps In Massachusetts (With Pictures)

Bees are the one social insect that humans partly domesticate. To produce a kilogram of honey, bees fly an equivalent to three times across the globe with air miles.

To attract more bees to your garden, add more color. The rusty patched bumblebee has been just recently included on the U.S. endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, after having dropped by 87% within the past 20 years. The loss of habitat: Land-use alteration, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity loss caused the lack of food sources for bees.

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There are more than 20000 distinct species of bees globally, including more than 4,000 species in the U.S. alone.48 Bees exist in every climate across the globe, including woodlands in Europe and deserts across Africa, even in areas of the Arctic Circle. Fermented honey, also known as Mead, is the oldest fermented drink. The word “honeymoon” originated with the Norse tradition of drinking massive amounts of Mead in the initial month after marriage.

Honeybees can fly for as long as six miles and can fly as fast as 15 miles an hour, so they will have to travel approximately 90,000 miles three times around the globe to produce one 1 pound of honey. As opposed to honeybees and wasps were, wasps are Omnivores. Similar to yellow jackets, they feed on plant matter in addition to meat from other animal species.

As opposed to honeybees, wasps can be repeatedly stinger and not die. Wasps are vibrant, boasting all the rainbow colors; however, we are most familiar with the black-and-yellow or brown wasps.

7 Types Of Bees In Massachusetts

1. European Honeybees (Apis Mellifera)

European honey bees can be seen throughout temperate regions of the globe. Apis mellifera is red/brown with black bands and orange-yellow rings on their abdomens.

Adult bees consume pollen and nectar collected from flowers by workers bees. The European honeybee is approximately 3/8 to 3/4 inches long. Their nest is in cavity-like hollow trees or houses wall. They prefer to reside in woodlands, gardens, orchards, meadows or other places.

2. Bumblebees (Genus Bombus)

The bumblebee is a widely-dispersed social insect known for gathering nectar from flowers and pollinating plants. Bumblebees are huge fuzzy, extremely hairy insects that are yellow and black.

Bumblebees consume nectar as well as pollen produced by flowers. Bumblebees are strong and hairy, ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters in length. Most bumblebees build the hives of underground holes created by bigger animals. Bumblebee species are found in warm regions and can withstand colder climates better.

3. Cicada Killer (Sphecius Speciosus)

Sphecius speciosus, commonly called the cicada killer or the Cicada hawk, is a massive digger species, a single, solitary species that belongs to the family Crabronidae. They are black, with certain white markings, as well as stripes.

Cicada-killing larvae feed upon cicadas as well as other insects. Cicada Killers are big wasps that measure around two inches long. Cicada tunnels for killing usually have a distinctive U-shaped collar of soil that is loose around the opening. Cicada killer wasps can be located within areas of the Rocky Mountains.

4. Small Carpenter Bees (Ceratina)

The tiny blue bees make excellent excavators who chew through the pith and dead wood to construct their nests. Carpenter bees of small Genus Ceratina are black, with blue-green and blue or red highlights.

Nests vary between 1 1/4 and 12 inches in depth. Carpenter bees of small size have been seen nesting inside damaged stems from “weeds,” rose stems and sea oat stems.

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3 Solitary Bees In Massachusetts

5. Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa Virginia And Other Species)

Carpenter bees are among the most amazing native pollinators and are essential to the ecosystem for various reasons. Carpenter bees are comparable in size and appearance to Bumblebees.

Like honey bees and carpenter bees, they feed on nectar and pollen. Carpenter bees measure between 1/2 and 1 inch long and are similar in size to Bumblebees. Carpenter bee nesting areas comprise eaves, rafters, facia boards, siding timber shake decks, and furniture for outdoor use. Carpenter bees have their nests of softwood.

6. Sweat Bees (Family Halictidae)

Following the honey bees, sweat bees, referred to in the scientific name of Halictidae, are the biggest bee family. Some are shaped like cuckoo wraps, but their abdomen is marked with stripes.

Adults, just like other bees, consume nectar and pollen, as well as pollinating flowers. They range from 4 to 15 millimeters, which is about similar to the dimensions of black flies.

The majority of sweat bees build nests in the ground, and a few of them nest in decaying wood. The habitat can be from fields or grasslands, vegetable gardens, roadsides, decaying wood, and even plants.

7. Mining Bees (Family Andrenidae)

Mining bees are among the biggest collection of solitary bees, which is thought to encompass more than 1400 species of bees worldwide. Mining bees are ginger-colored bees, and females are more than males and are covered with an even thicker layer of hairs that are orange.

Like all bees consume pollen and nectar from flowers. Mining bees differ in size, ranging from almost an inch in length to small – bees belonging to the Genus Perdita are often smaller than 0.1 inches.

It’s a species of bee that constructs nests within underground tunnels. Mining bees are found where there’s plenty of pollen- and nectar-rich blooms as well as a suitable nesting area.

7 Types Of Bees In Massachusetts

8. European Hornets (Vespa Crabro)

The European Hornet (Vespa Crabro) is the biggest wasp with a eusocial habitat in Europe. The bodies of their species are dark brown, with a yellow stripe on their stomachs.

European Hornets feed on huge insects, including the yellow jackets of grasshoppers and bees. European Hornets can be as long as one inch (25 millimeters) in length.

European Hornets hunt for natural caves located six or more feet off the ground. European Hornets are typically located in forests and other adjacent regions.

9. Bald-faced Hornets (Dolichiovespula Maculata)

The Bald-faced Hornet is a North American insect that builds an enormous paper nest to accommodate their social group. Bald-faced hornets are remarkably similar to their yellowjacket counterparts, with black-colored bodies and a largely white-colored face.

Soft-bodied insects like caterpillars and aphids are popular foods. The bald-faced species ranges between three-quarters of an inch up to less than an inch. Bald-faced hornets create nests made of paper three feet above the ground. The habitat of bald-faced hornets is located in urban and forest areas with vegetation.

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10. Paper Wasps (Polistes fuscatus)

Paper wasps are stinging to guard their colonies and release toxins that could cause harm to mammals like cats, wolves, birds and dogs. They’re brown with some yellow hues. Adult paper wasps consume nectar and other sugary solutions, such as honeydew and juices from mature fruits.

They measure 1.9 to 3.2 centimeters in length. Paper wasps are vespids that take fibers from dead wood and plant stems. The paper wasp is a social pest that constructs small, paper-like nests that are grey in the trees and plants.

11. Yellow Jackets (Vespula Species)

Yellowjackets have a soft stinger. They can be stinging more than once, and the sting could be quite painful. The appearance is similar to the blackhead and distinct design of yellow and black across their abdomens.

They consume caterpillars, grubs, and other insects. Yellowjackets are maybe 12 millimeters long. Yellowjackets love to be close to human settlements. They typically build their homes beneath the earth, in garbage areas and dark, cool spaces.

4 Solitary Wasps In Massachusetts

12. Sand Wasps (Bembix Americana, Bembix Pruinosa)

Sand wasps are part of a variety of similar genera and species that include all species belonging to the Genus Bembix. Most sand wasps are either black or yellow or black and white, usually with bands.

Adult sand wasps eat nectar, but most seek out flies that feed the larvae inside the nest. They construct burrows to nest and supply their cells with caterpillars. Sand wasps reside in urban zones, woodlands and forests, and heath.

13. Mud Daubers (Sphecidae Or Crabronidae Family)

Mud dauber is a term commonly used to refer to a variety of wasps that belong to either or the families of Sphecidae. Mud daubers usually are black; however, they can be spotted with pale markings or have a blue metallic shine.

Adult mud daubers eat honeydew, nectar from plants and body fluids from the insects they capture. Adult mud daubers reach the size of a large lizard that ranges from 1 to 2-inches in size. Female mud daubers create nests of mud in areas of shade, such as porch ceilings, beneath the eaves, or inside barns and sheds.

14. Great Golden Digger Wasps (Sphex Ichneumonea)

The golden digger wasp is a kind of insect found within North, Central, South America. The great golden digger features an elongated waist and bi-colored abdomen, orange-red in the front and dark behind.

The golden digger isp’s prey is katydids crickets and other relatives of”the “grasshopper.” The nest is a central, almost vertical tunnel, with several tunnels that branch off from it. They live in meadows and fields of fallow close to sandy areas.

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14 Types Of Bees & Wasps In Massachusetts (With Pictures)