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honey bees and bumblebees are very aptly named, which makes it much easier to tell them apart! But what distinguishes bumblebees from honeybees? In the article below we dive into the differences!
Honeybees are the bees we tame. They make a lot of honey – enough for beekeepers to take the excess from the hive for human consumption.
Bumblebees make little honey, but are known more for their loud buzzing and the way they “stumble” and slowly pollinate flower after flower. You can watch these bees flying peacefully through a garden or field, taking the time to interact with each plant.
The easiest way to tell these bees apart is their appearance, but they also differ in lifespan, nesting, socialization, and several other ways!
Comparing honey bee to bumblebee
Bumblebees and honeybees are quite different from each other, but are easily confused if you don’t know the differences. They both have cute names and are docile bees.
Here are some of the key things to look out for the next time you see these bees in your yard:
| Bumblebee | Honey bee | |
| Lifespan | About a year (queen) | 3+ years (queen) |
| nest | Underground | Above ground, often elevated |
| Body | Big, round and hairy | Thin, with little hair and prominent heads |
| honey | Produces little honey | Makes a lot of honey |
| Temperament | Less docile but not typically aggressive; more independent | Often more docile through human contact and breeding; more cooperative and likely to swarm |
| stabbing | Can sting multiple times | Can only sting once |
| hibernation | These bees hibernate | These bees don’t hibernate |
| pollination | More effective pollinators, cover more area | Less effective pollinators, tend to stay in the same area |
The 8 main differences between bumblebees and honeybees
1. Honeybees are more social
There is a big difference in temperament between honeybees and bumblebees when you observe them interacting with each other.
Honeybees are more cooperative. They communicate with each other about the best pollen sources, work together to keep the queen and each other warm through the winter, and swarm more than bumblebees.
Bumblebees are more independent, with new queens appearing and buzzing every year to create their own colonies.
Honey bees may also be more docile with humans due to their domestication and selective breeding. However, none of these bees are particularly aggressive.
2. Bumblebees nest underground
Bumblebees usually make their nests in underground burrows, while honeybees nest above ground. Honey bee nests are often raised to keep predators out.
3. Honeybees produce more honey
The names say it all: honey bees are known for their honey supply and bumblebees are known for their loud buzzing.
Humans keep domesticated honey bees because they produce excess honey, while bumblebees have given us no reason to tame them. They do produce honey, but only enough for the hive to survive.
They don’t build stores for the winter, as they are hibernating by then.
4. Bumblebees are chubby and round
You will be able to tell the difference between honeybees and bumblebees the moment you look at them. Bumblebees are round and hairy. They look a bit fluffy and cuddly!
Honeybees are slimmer, with their heads distinctive from their bodies. You cannot easily distinguish a bumblebee head from its body because of its plumpness.
If you mistake the bee for a wasp, it is most likely a honey bee – not a bumblebee.
5. Honeybees live longer
Thanks in part to their cooperation, honeybees live longer than bumblebees. They gather in the winter for warmth, keeping themselves and their queens alive longer. A honey bee queen can live more than 3 years.
Bumblebees, on the other hand, die within a few months. Even their queens don’t survive the winter, instead they die when their job is taken over by their offspring in brand new hives.
6. Bumblebees can sting multiple times
Bumblebees can sting multiple timesunlike many other bees and wasps. Fortunately, we’ve already discussed their independent nature – this makes them much less likely to swarm and sting at the same time.
Honeybees can only sting once, but you can be stung by many more of them if you come across a swarm!
Bee stings are usually not fatal, although they can be if you are stung too much or are allergic to bees.
7. Honeybees don’t hibernate
We discussed how honeybees do not hibernate. That’s why they store so much honey to get through the winter months, when pollen is hard to find.
Honey bees sleep through these months and rely on their fat reserves to get through them.
8. Bumblebees Are More Effective Pollinators
Honey bees work smarter, not harder. They tell the other bees where to find lots of pollen and then focus on those areas.
This makes them very effective at making honey, but less so at pollinating a wide variety of flowers.
Bumblebees, on the other hand, tend to bumble into an area, pollinating many plants along the way. They are also larger and can carry more with them, which helps them complete their tasks.
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