Western Honey Bee vs Common Yellowjacket
Is that a honey bee or a yellowjacket?
The quick tell
Look for fuzz and waist. A Honey Bee is softly furry and amber-brown, with a thick waist, and it works flowers calmly. A Yellowjacket is sleek and hairless, brightly banded in hard yellow and black, with a pinched waist, and it is the one that comes after your drink and lunch in late summer.
Field marks, side by side
| Western Honey Bee | Common Yellowjacket | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Fuzzy, amber-brown, softer looking | Smooth, shiny, bright yellow and black |
| Waist | Thick, barely pinched | Sharply pinched, wasp-waisted |
| At your picnic | Not interested; it wants flowers | Very interested in meat, sweets and drinks |
| Sting | Stings once and dies, only if provoked | Can sting repeatedly and is quicker to do it |
Still not sure which one you found?
Point Huck at it. One photo identifies it on the spot - and adds it to your collection.
Get Huck - freeCommon questions
Did a bee or a yellowjacket sting me at the barbecue?
Almost certainly a yellowjacket. Honey bees stay at flowers and rarely bother people, while yellowjackets are drawn to meat, sweet drinks and rubbish bins in late summer and sting readily. A honey bee can also only sting once, since its barbed sting is left behind.
Should I kill a honey bee I find indoors?
Better to let it out. Honey bees are gentle away from the hive and are vital pollinators, so cup it under a glass and release it. Yellowjackets, especially several at once indoors, may mean a nest nearby and are worth dealing with more carefully.