Honey Bee

Honeybee workers are ½ to 5/8 inch long with orange to brown coloring. Their body is covered with hair, though it is not as fuzzy as the bumblebee. The hair is dense on the thorax. These are social insects and live in hollows  (e.g., old trees, attics, soffits) where their nests are constructed of wax combs.

Bumble Bee

Bumblebees have a robust or stocky build, with many body hairs making them appear fuzzy. They are yellow and black. Worker bumblebees are large, but size may varies with species. These are social insects that live in nest made in the ground or in mouse nests or soft materials in a barn or shed.

Carpenter Bee

The carpenter bee also has a robust and stocky build and is often mistaken for the bumblebee. The major defining characteristic is the top surface of the abdomen is black and shiny. The body length may be ½ to one inch long. These are solitary insects that tunnel in wood to lay eggs.  They will bore into wood on houses, barns,decks,and fences and in dead tree limbs.