Honey Bee vs Bumble Bee
Honey Bees and bumble bees are easy to mix up at a glance, but a few details separate them quickly. Here is how to tell which one you found and what, if anything, you should do about it.
Quick answer
Check for this first. A honey bee has golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands, while a bumble bee has plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair.
Side-by-side comparison
| Honey Bee | Bumble Bee | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Bees & Wasps | Bees & Wasps |
| Scientific name | Apis mellifera | Bombus spp. |
| Size | 12–15 mm | 10–25 mm |
| Colors | Yellow, Brown and Black | Black and Yellow |
| Legs | 6 legs | 6 legs |
| Wings | Yes | Yes |
| Bites or stings | Stings | Stings |
| Risk | Can bite or sting | Can bite or sting |
| Key feature | Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands | Plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair |
Key differences
- Size: Bumble Bees are larger, reaching 25 mm, while honey bees top out around 15 mm.
- Color: Honey Bees are yellow, brown and black; bumble bees are black and yellow.
- Signature feature: Honey Bees: golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands. Bumble Bees: plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair.
How to identify honey bees
A fuzzy, golden-brown bee with darker bands that pollinates crops and flowers and lives in large colonies. A worker's barbed stinger stays in the skin after it stings.
- Golden-brown to amber body with dark abdominal bands
- Hairy thorax and pollen baskets on the hind legs
- Barbed stinger left behind after stinging
How to identify bumble bees
A large, round, very hairy bee with black and yellow bands. It nests in the ground or old rodent burrows and pollinates tomatoes, blueberries and wildflowers.
- Plump, fuzzy body covered in dense hair
- Black and yellow, sometimes orange, bands
- Loud, low buzz and slow flight between flowers
Which one is more dangerous?
Neither is more dangerous than the other; both are rated can bite or sting on our scale.
A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms. Bumble bees are gentle but can sting more than once if their nest is disturbed.
Where and when you'll see each
Honey Bees turn up in gardens and on plants, mostly in spring, summer and fall. Bumble Bees turn up in gardens and on plants, mostly in spring, summer and fall.
Because they share habitat, you may find both in the same place, so check each individual.
What to do if you find one
Honey Bees: no control is needed. A honey bee sting is painful and can trigger life-threatening allergic reactions in sensitive people; call a local beekeeper for swarms.
Bumble Bees: no control is needed. Bumble bees are gentle but can sting more than once if their nest is disturbed.
Biology: bees & wasps
Bees and wasps belong to the same order as ants. Social species such as honey bees, bumble bees, yellowjackets and hornets live in colonies with a queen, while solitary species such as mud daubers and cicada killers raise their young alone. Only females can sting, because the stinger is a modified egg-laying tube.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between honey bees and bumble bees?
Size: Bumble Bees are larger, reaching 25 mm, while honey bees top out around 15 mm.
Which is bigger, a honey bee or a bumble bee?
Honey Bee: 12–15 mm. Bumble Bee: 10–25 mm.
Do honey bees or bumble bees bite?
Honey Bees do not bite and can sting. Bumble Bees do not bite and can sting.
Where are they usually found?
Honey Bees: in gardens and on plants. Bumble Bees: in gardens and on plants.