Honey bees are very important in pollination of crops. Honey bees are social insects that live in colonies. There is a queen that is responsible for producing eggs. The worker caste is made up of sterile females who build and repair the nest, forage for food, and tend to the young. Males are colled drones and are produced for mating with reproductive females. Honey bees are small and fuzzy. They are usually yellow and black striped.
Carpenter bees resemble bumble bees but do not have yellow markings. The females of most species are black or blue with a metallic sheen and may be up to 2.5cm (1 in) long. In general, the males look like the females. In some species, the males are covered by light brown, light green or yellowish-green hairs. When female carpenter bees construct tunnels in solid wood, their chewing of the wood can be heard from several feet away. Piles of sawdust beside the nest entrance and the presence of many bees in flight in the area provide clues that a nest is near.
Paper wasps receive their name from the paper-like nest they build. These nests can be found under the eaves of houses, under branches of trees and shrubs, under decks or inside pipes. Paper wasps do not have a caste system with a sterile worker class. There is one dominant female, which lays eggs, and the others tend to the young. The dominant female is usually the nest initiator. This species of wasps is variable in color. They can be brown, black, orange or yellow. In addition, their bodies may or may not have stripes.
Yellow jackets can nest in wall voids, attics, in trees and shrubs, or in the ground. They are social insects. They have a worker caste that cares for the young and forages for food. Adult yellow jackets will feed on fruit and nectar from plants while the larvae are fed insects or carrion.
