All About Bees

What is a Bee?

What makes a bee, a bee? Are they just hairy wasps or are there more similarities than differences between bees and wasps? Learn about their evolution, some of the characteristics that make a bee, a bee, as well as their similarities and relationship to wasps.

Bee Look-alikes

There are many insects—flies, wasps, beetles, moths, and more—that resemble or mimic bees. Learn about some of these common mimics and develop skills to tell them apart from bees.

Cuckoo Bees

Cuckoo bees are cleptoparasitc and do not build their own nest. Instead, they either lay their eggs in a host bee nest where their larvae consume the pollen provisions provided by the host or, in the case of social parasites, take over the social nest of another bee.

Pollen Specialist Bees

About one-third of bees that occur in Minnesota specialize on collecting specific flower pollens. Learn about the flowering host plants that support specialists and the types of specialization.

Identifying Bees

Learn about the opportunities for identifying bees to species as well as the limitations. Approximately 20% of bees occurring in Minnesota could be identified to species using multiple clear photographs detailing specific identification characteristics.

Bee Anatomy

Explore this photographic guide to bee anatomy and become familiar with the common body parts cited when identifying bees. Learn about specific things to look for when observing or photographing bees.

Nests

Bees nest in a variety of places either belowground or aboveground. Both ground-nesting and cavity-nesting bees line and waterproof their nests. Learn about which materials are used to ensure the larva has unspoiled food and a climate-controlled brood cell.

Diet

Each brood cell is stocked with pollen provisions, usually by a single female bee. Larvae consume these provisions as they develop. To sustain their activities, adult bees feed on pollen and nectar provided by flowers.

Sociality and Life Cycles

Most native bees have solitary nests and a minority land somewhere along a spectrum of sociality ranging from communal to social. Learn about these sociality categories and the life cycles of bees.

Bee Myths

Do all bees live in hives and make honey? Do bees sting more than once or die after they sting? I saw a small bee, will it get larger once it consumes food? Myth-busting answers await!

Pollination

The intricate relationship between bees and flowers is often not mutualistic. Does a flower get pollinated each time a bee visits? What do flowers do to attract bees? What is pollination?

Observing Bees

Observing bees is a really fun and enjoyable activity and bees occur in a variety of habitats including gardens, parks, field edges, and natural areas. Learn about some bee observation tips and where to look for bees.

Bee Behaviors

Where do bees spend the night? How do they find a mate? How do females collect pollen? How do they find their nests? What is buzz pollination?

Natural Enemies

Bees have a number of natural enemies that prey on them, parasitize adults or larvae, consume the larval provisions, or threaten their health or survival.

Threats

A number of factors, often a combination of many interacting simultaneously, can threaten native bees. These may include habitat loss and fragmentation, exposure to pesticides, and pathogen spillover.

Participatory Science Opportunities

Looking for a bee ID?

To get help with bee identifications, create a free iNaturalist or BugGuide account then upload your bee photo(s) to one of these sites. Experts will help you identify your bee. Once your bee is identified, visit this site to learn more about its natural history, nesting preferences, and conservation.