Honey bee , worker (Apis mellifera)

Usually found in association with managed honey bee hives that consist of a queen (who lays all the eggs and never leaves the hive) and her thousands of workers (who do not lay eggs, but collect pollen and nectar for the queen’s brood). Rarely are they found in association with wild colonies any more (due to mites and disease). Honey bees will collect pollen and nectar from a wide range of plant species.

Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.)

Solitary bees that nest in soil, each female digs a nest and provisions it with pollen. Members of this group of bees tend to visit and collect pollen from a narrower range of plant species than other bees. For instance, there are several species that specialize on blueberry and its relatives.

Halictid or Sweat bees (Lasioglossum spp., Halictus spp., Augochlorella spp., etc.)

This is a very diverse group of bees that are solitary or communally nesting in soil. They tend to visit a wide variety of plants to obtain pollen. Some members of this group are attracted to sweat for its salt and mineral content (thus the common name).

Cellophane or Polyester bees (Colletes spp.)

Solitary bees that nest in soil and line their nests with a cellophane-like material (thus the common name), each female digs a nest and provisions it with pollen.

Bumble bee , queen pictured here (Bombus spp.)

In early spring, queens emerge from over-wintering and start new colonies in abandoned rodent burrows or other insulated sites near the ground. After enough workers are produced, the queen stays in the nest for the rest of the season while the workers continue to collect pollen and nectar for her brood. In late summer, drones (males) and new queens are produced, they mate and then the new queens find a place to over-winter. Bumble bees collect pollen and nectar from a wide range of plants and are able to “buzz-pollinate” (i.e. vibrate flowers to shake pollen from their anthers, as in the case of blueberry flowers).

USDA-ARS photo

Orchard, Mason or Osmia bees (Osmia spp.)

Solitary bees that naturally nest in tunnels created by wood-boring beetles or hollow pithy stems of woody plants, they will nest in man-made materials such as paper straws, if provided. Each female partitions the straw or tunnel into individual cells with mud and collects pollen for each cell on abdominal brushes (this character readily distinguishes them from the other kinds of wild bees).