A bee or not a bee…

When most people hear the word "bee," their first thought is that bees give painful stings. These days the second thing that comes to mind might be that bees are in trouble due to changes in their environment. It can be hard to think of wanting to protect an insect that wants to hurt you. A little knowledge can go a long way toward easing fear of bees. First, if you have ever been stung, it was probably a wasp rather than a bee. Wasps have different lifestyles and will not only protect their nests but can — and will, in the case of yellow jackets — sting multiple times. Most native bees are solitary ground nesters interested only in gathering pollen and nectar for their young. They have no honey stores to protect and most live for only a few weeks as adults. While the female bees could sting you, it is highly unlikely that one will do so unless you grab it or step directly on it. Honey bees are a little different. They are considered semi-domesticated livestock rather than native insects. They will defend their hive, as they have a queen and honey stores in there. Most honey bees have been selected for their calm temperament — even beekeepers don't want to be stung — and won't bother you as long as you don't run into their hive. A female honey bee, if she needs to sting, gives her life to do so—the barb on her stinger stays in what she stings and pulls her organs out as she tries to fly away. Bumble bees are the most easily identified native bees. Big, fuzzy and generally slow moving, they are often found buzzing around flowers in your yard. They do nest in ground colonies, but they do not defend them like yellow jackets do. They are excellent pollinators and should be encouraged in your garden. Carpenter bees, which look like bumbles but have shiny, not fuzzy, rear ends will send the stingless males to buzz you away from their nests. The diversity of bees found on various flowers is amazing and interesting to watch. If you look closely, you will see that bees have hairs on their legs or bellies to collect pollen. They carry this pollen back to where they are laying their eggs to feed their larvae when they hatch. They don't want your soda; they just want to go about their business and raise their babies. Most are colored with some combination of black and yellow, and their antennae are longer than flies. Some flies use the black and yellow coloration to fool you, and birds, into thinking they are bees for their own protection. Flies, like the flower fly in the photograph, have bigger eyes than bees even though their color and general shape is similar. Flies don't sting, but this one looks like it could. So yes, bees can sting but rarely do. They deserve our protection and encouragement. Provide a diversity of flowers and nesting sites and enjoy the show. Be careful with pesticides. For more information about how to welcome these fascinating insects to your yard, visit www.pollinator.org.