BEES

You gotta love bees.  It's not hyperbole to say we would eventually all starve if we didn't have bees.  There are a few other creatures that assist in the fertilization of most plant life but not many.  Pollinators are so very important.  

That said, this time of year you might see bees hanging around outside your house.  These might be carpenter bees or bumble bees.  

Carpenter bees look for new places to live and raise a family this time of year.  They like wood best but sometimes any crevice will do.  Yes, they nibble on the wood but not so much that your house will fall down.  Old wood is their favorite. Carpenter bees are solitary creatures who don't live in large colonies. Still, it is a good idea to discourage them from living too close to where you or children live and play. 

Bumble bees look for places to live underground.  It's not good to have them too close to where you live and play either.  They live in moderate sized colonies so you could see a lot of them.  None of these bees are a big risk of stinging you unless you threaten their home.  

Honey bees are the ones who live in hives - large colonies.  Their whole life is all about honey and taking care of "honey".  They are great polinators.  Honey bees are hairy and golden/brown.  Bumble bees are larger and very fuzzy.  You can be distinguished the bumble bee from carpenter bees by a close inspection of the thorax - main body.  Place this little diddy in your memory bank - bumble bees have a fuzzy fanny while carpenter bees have a shiny heinie.  

Good luck with bees this Summer.   

Carpenter bee 👉

Bumble bee 👇