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There are almost 20,000 different species of bees (Burande). Bees vary in physical appearance, the type of hive they live in, behavior, and how they interact. The two most common types of bees are the Bumblebee and the Honeybee, but there are also other types of “common” bees, such as Carpenter bees, Ground bees, and Parasitic bees.

The Bumblebee, who is black, yellow, large, and hairy, lives within a colony and displays social behavior. In areas that have a cool, temperate climate, worker bees and drones (male bees) perish, but in tropical climates, hives prosper and can live for many years. The queen Bumblebee can survive the winter in cool climates by hibernating, and with awakening lays new eggs to restart the colony.

The Honeybee is small and black, sometimes having a yellow-brown core. The Honeybee has a very social nature, living in a colony that has a hierarchy of bees. There are three castes – the queen bee, who lays all the eggs, drones, which are fertile males, and worker bees, who are the working females. The workers collect nectar, make honey, protect their hive and colony, and take care of baby Honeybees and the queen bee. The hives that house these colonies and aid in the production of honey are often referred to as “honey combs” or “bees wax.” Wax is produced from the Honeybee’s abdomen and stored in the hex-shaped cells of the hive.

Carpenter bees, purely black, are about two to two and a half inches in length.