What Kind of Bee Is That Bee?
Many of our bee raisers want to learn how to identify the bees that visit their gardens and tell the difference between native and exotic bee species. But, with over 4,000 species of native bees in North America, plus the nonnative species that have been introduced, it can be challenging to identify one from the other. Fortunately, there are some great resources to help people learn how to identify bee species. Below are a few of our favorites.
Discover Life is a free online tool to help identify species, track the impact of climate change, and participate in research projects.
Bug Guide is an online community of naturalists who collect photos of insects from the United States and Canada for identification and research. They also summarize findings in guide pages for each order, family, genus, and species.
Exotic Bee ID, a website created through a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and Utah State University (USU), can help bee enthusiasts identify nonnative bees in the United States. Some exotics, such as Osmia cornifrons, have been naturalized and are often managed on farms and orchards. However, it is still important for researchers to understand their distribution and abundance.
Exotic Bee ID is designed primarily as a screening tool for those who monitor and intercept nonnative bees coming into the U.S., it is also commonly used by growers, hobbyists, and homeowners—that is, essentially anyone interested in identifying bees.
Good Luck Identifying!
