The family unit consists of a only few hundred individuals-much smaller than a colony of honey bees. They have a queen and workers in the nest too. Aging bees are continuously replaced with new adults and the queen bee can live for several years before she is replaced.īumble bees are one of only a few bees native to the US that are considered social insects. The colony can live for many years in the same location. This job falls to the young adults working as nurse bees. The queen lays eggs but does not care for young at any time. These female workers hare all the duties of the hive. Honey bees live in large social colonies with thousands of worker bees. Life in the honey bee colony is different than that in a bumble bee nest. We might think that two bees that are both social insects would have a very similar nest life. Both insects have knee-like structures on their legs and the ability to carry pollen. It is easier to see the three sections of a honey bee (head, thorax, abdomen).Īlso, they are smaller with less hair on the body. Honey bees do have an obvious mid-section (though not a wasp waist). The color of honey bees can range from light to very dark. The Honey bee ( Apis mellifera) is a smaller and sleeker insect. They are able to heat up their wings for flight at cooler foraging temperatures than some insects. With a distinctive black or brown color and bright yellow stripes, they are easy to spot in the garden.īumbles are often some of the first bees you see in the Spring. However, there are more than 250 bumble bee species and they come in all sizes.Įven the small varieties have a fuzzy appearance. In general, Bumble bees are large, round and very fuzzy. And, that’s okay – right? Differences in Appearance and Size Therefore, you will often see these names commonly used in condensed form as one word. You know what I am talking about whether I write the name as one word or two. Why do we see these names written both ways so often? Perhaps, it is because the primary purpose of the written word is communication. Another example, a starfish is one word – it is not really a type of fish. Therefore it’s name name is written as one word. That makes sense right?Ĭonversely, a Butterfly is not a true fly. They are both members of the apidae family. The first word in their name describes what kind of bee they are. This is due to the fact that they are both actually members of the “bee” family. What is the proper way to write the names of these 2 insects? Is it 1 word or 2 words? Honey bee or Honeybee – Bumble bee or Bumblebee.Īn entomologist, someone who scientifically studies insects, tells us that both of these should be 2 words. Let’s get this issue out of the way upfront. But, a deeper look will reveal many key differences in the daily life of these insects. They share a love of flowers and need to visit them to obtain food. Most of us have seen both flying around with pollen pellets on their hind legs. Both of these bees are familiar visitors to a bee garden.
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