About Bees, Wasps & Ants
Bees, wasps, and ants belong to the order Hymenoptera. Some species live alone, while others form highly organized colonies with queens, workers, nests, communication systems, and division of labor.
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Bees
Bees evolved from wasp-like ancestors and became specialized for pollen and nectar.
Learn MoreHoney Bees
Honey bees live in perennial colonies.
Learn MoreNative Bees
Most bee species do not live in honey-bee colonies.
Learn MoreWasps
Wasps include predators, parasitoids, pollinators, and scavengers.
Learn MoreAnts
Ant colonies can contain workers with specialized tasks.
Learn MoreQueens
Queens are reproductive females in social colonies.
Learn MoreStings
Some hymenopterans use a modified egg-laying structure as a stinger.
Learn MoreImportance
Bees, wasps, and ants are major ecological players.
Learn MoreBees
Hairy bodies and pollen-carrying structures make many bees excellent pollinators.
Honey Bees
Workers gather nectar and pollen, care for larvae, build wax comb, defend the nest, and regulate temperature.
Native Bees
Many are solitary and nest in soil, hollow stems, wood, or small cavities.
Wasps
Many species help regulate populations of other insects.
Ants
They communicate heavily through chemical signals and can engineer soil, disperse seeds, farm fungi, or tend other insects.
Queens
A queen's role is primarily reproduction rather than commanding workers like a human leader.
Stings
Not all species sting, and males do not have this structure.
Importance
They pollinate plants, recycle material, prey on pests, aerate soil, and form food for many other animals.