Social Bees

10% of bee species are social.

Honey bees Apis mellifera (Apidae)

Seven Honeybee species include domesticated and feral European Honey Bees, spread worldwide by humans for honey and wax production and pollination of crops. They are eusocial, the highest level of organization, a single hive contains at least 40,000-45,000 bees. Many are far larger.

Stingless Bees Meliponini (Apidae)

Native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Traditionally and still kept in Central America and Australia for their honey, which is significantly different from that of apis mellifera.

Bumble Bees Bombus

Live mostly in temperate climates of the Americas and Eurasia. Many bumble bees live in small colonies of only several dozen in which only the queen overwinters. Due to their size and style of pollination, they are efficient at pollinating plants many other bees cannot, for example rhododendrons and azaleas. Bumble bees are among the most endangered bees in North America and worldwide.

Solitary Bees

90% of bee species are solitary.

• Many solitary bees are stingless

• Every female is fertile and makes her own nest

• No worker bees exist for solitary species

• They do not produce either honey or beeswax

Mason Bees Osmia (Megachilidae)

140 species native to North America, 200 species worldwide

• Mason bees gather mud to build their nests.

• They nest in narrow gaps, or hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects.

• Several species are commercially propagated as an alternative or addition to honey bees.

• More efficient pollinators than honey bees: 250 female osmia lignaria will pollinate an acre of apples, which would need up to two honey bee hives, with 15,000 to 20,000 workers in each (Bosch and Kemp, 2001).

Carpenter Bees Xylocopa (Apidae)

These bees make their nests by boring holes in wood—they prefer rotten and unpainted, soft woods. So, leave some rotting wood in your yard and they won’t bother about your house.

• Many people want to get rid of these bees if they discover they have them, however, they cause cosmetic damage more often than structural damage.

• Like other species, they will sting only if provoked. Males cannot sting. However, they are territorial, and may fly at you, but they cannot harm you in any way.

• The females are able to sting, but like bumble bees they are docile, and rarely do so. Their sting is described as like a mosquito bite.

Mining Bees Andrena (Andrenidae)

1300 species, nearly worldwide.

• Andrena are often oligolectic, meaning they collect pollen only from a select few plant species.

• Some Andrena species are monolectic, meaning they collect pollen from only one species of plant. If that plant becomes rare or extinct, so does its pollinator.

• Typical miner bee nests may consist of one small, main tunnel, with 5 or more branches, each containing an egg cell. The nests do not cause any damage in soil or gardens.

Sunflower bee, Svastra obliqua (Apidae)

The sunflower bee (Svastra Obliqua) is a commonly found bee across much of North America. Like other members of its genus [Apidae], it is a very fast flying bee that zips to flower to flower, collecting pollen on its highly plumed back legs.

While introduced European bees often get much of the credit for pollination services in North America, species such as the sunflower bee are often as effective, if not more effective pollinators in many cases.

Unfortunately, the loss of intact and healthy grassland habitat throughout places such as South Dakota, where this individual was found, is having an impact on native bee populations.

— Clay Bolt