Native bees of Washington state: Like other countries and states, Washington State has many types of bees. Bees live in Washington because Washington State has the climate that bees like. In Washington state, you can find some bees that are similar to all other states. In this article, you can find out about the types of honey bees and native bees that live in Washington state.
Bees of Western Washington
1. European Honey Bee or Western Honey Bee
These brown color (European bees) bees are primarily found in Washington state. The most famous types of honey bees in washington state is western honey bee. These bees with average size have some yellow hair on their body. Hair is present primarily in the central area or thorax of the body, which is not aggressive. These bees are also called western honey bees. Facts of European honey bees.
European honey bees live in groups and produce honey. In a hive or nest, bees have many tasks. In the hive, bees are divided into three categories: the queen bee, worker bee, and drone bee, with different duties. One queen bee is selected by all other bees, which mate with male bees and lay eggs. Some female bees are worker bees who cannot mate with other bees but have the duty to care for nests and build colonies and honey wax. Drones are male bees that collect nectars from out and protect the hive from enemies. European honey bees are not stingy.
Scientific name | Apis mellifera |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Size | Normal size |
| Life spain | 40 to 50 days |
| Classification | Honey bees |
2. Horned Bees
Horned bees are black and brown. Thorax areas that are brown. Like European bees, his body with legs is shaggy yellow hair. Horned honey bees have a few distinctions among male and females.
Male bees have large antennae. Females have typical antennae.
Horned or long-horned bees are found in the United States and Native Bees with Australia
The life cycle of horned bees has a short life cycle; young bees mainly occur in mid May and June. Forager bees occur at the end of June and the start of July.
Habits of horned bees; male and female bees visit different types of flowers; male bees like yellow color flowers. Female bees build their nests in the ground where they can find some vegetables. Females are aggressive in nests.
| Scientific name | Apidae |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Size | 9 to 12mm |
| Life spain | Maximum 40 days |
| Classification | Insecta |
3. Masked Bees
Washington Masked bees are black in color, his legs are black and yellow lines, and his face is divided into two colors, black and yellow, which increase his beauty. These are mostly small in size. His body has no hair, which can compare with wasps.
Masked types bees are only found in Washington state and Australia. These bees are exported all over the world from Washington state & Australia. Masked bees like to live in urban areas. In Australia, they like to live in the forest.
| Scientific name | Colletiade |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Size | 8mm to 10mm |
| Life cycle | 25 to 40 days |
4. Carder Bees
This bee is the same color as masked bees, yellow and black, but masked bees have half black & yellow. Carder bees have many lines of black & yellow color on their body. Carder bees are medium in size. His body is covered with wings out of their head. He has a minimal amount of hair on his body than other bees.
Like European bees, these bees live in groups but are more aggressive than European bees. Carder bees build their nests in woods and soft dry material.
Carder bees have another type of brown carder bees. This type of bee is found in the United state. The brown carder bee is covered with brown hair, which is why his name is brown carder.
Habits of carder; same habits as other bees. Build a house in the woods, visit flowers and collect nectars.
Some common types of carder bees. Moas carder bee and common carder bees.
| Scientific name | Bombus pascuorum |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Size | 10mm to 12mm |
| Life cycle | 30 to 40 |
5. Cuckoo Bees
Cuckoo bees look like wasps because his body his bodies are the same as wasps but in different colors. They have a mixed black color with a powerful body. Cuckoos are stingy. They are found in Washington state. One habit of the cuckoo is different from other bees: these bees like only nectars, not pollen. That’s why they only collect nectars. Cuckoo bees are the only bee that cannot build their nests. They are also called cleptoparasites because they lay only one egg in the nest of other bees.
| Scientific name | Nomadiane |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Size | 12mm to 14mm |
| Life cycle | 50 to 60 days |
Types of Wasps in Washington State
Paper Wasp in Washington State
There are many types of wasps, but we only discuss paper wasps. Yellow jacket and paper wasps look the same in the color of his legs. His maximum size is 1 inch.
They are found in the US and other states. European paper wasps build their nests in fruit trees and gardens. Paper wasps are much more aggressive than other bees, like yellow jackets. They try to attack any person away from their house.
Paper wasps build their house in safe places, such as under trees, rocks, and places where no one can disturb them. His nests are like flowers. They use his nests for only one season. Cold weather is harder for paper wasps.
Black Wasps in Washington State
Black color wasps are primarily found in Washington state. They are entirely black. They have long wings. They are not the same as others in light of their eyes and body. They have long bodies and large eyes. His sting is so powerful but not dangerous for humans. But it causes allergies.
Black wasps build their nests in the ground but cannot create colonies. Black wasps lay eggs more than paper wasps.
Black Bees in Washington State
Carpenter bees which are found in Washington state are known as Black bee. Usually you can find black bee in garden and your home where they build their nests in wood.
Honey Bees in Washington State
Yes, Honey bees are found in Washington state.
Sweet Honey Bee (metallic green)
The sweet honey bee, scientifically known as Apis mellifera, is a remarkable and industrious insect known for its essential role in pollination and honey production. These small creatures exhibit remarkable teamwork and organization within their colonies, which can consist of thousands of individual bees.
| Scientific name | Halictidae |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Class | Hymenoptera |
| Size | 10mm to 13mm |
Leaf Cutter Honey Bees
Leafcutter honey bees (Megachile spp.) are industrious insects known for their remarkable behavior of cutting and transporting sections of leaves to construct their nests. These resourceful bees exhibit impressive precision as they slice out neat, circular pieces from various types of plants. Contrary to what their name might suggest, leafcutter bees don’t consume these leaf fragments; instead, they repurpose them as building materials.
| Scientific name | Megachilidae |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Class | bumble |
| Size | Normal in size |
Bumble Honey Bee or Western Bumble Bee
| Scientific name | Bumbes occidental |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Class | bumbus |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
Alkali Honey Bees
Alkali Honey Bees are a unique subspecies of honey bees that have adapted to thrive in alkaline environments. They are known for their ability to collect nectar and pollen from plants that grow in alkaline soils, such as desert and arid regions. These bees have specialized adaptations that allow them to process and detoxify the alkaline substances present in their foraged materials. This enables them to efficiently produce honey and support their colonies in challenging environments where other bee species might struggle. The alkali honey bees’ remarkable adaptations showcase the diverse ways in which nature can evolve to overcome environmental challenges.
| Scientific name | Nomia melanderi |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Class | Nomia |
Some Native Types of Bees in Washington state.
- Western honey bee
- Yellow faced eastern bee
- Common estern bee
- Bombus opposiutes
Summary
There are many species of bees found in Washington state, some of which are discussed in this article. Western types of honey bees in Washington state are the famous ones. Bees such as the western honey bee and the sweet bee are popular in Washington. There are some native bees of Washington which do not make honey. This state is the most famous state for bees.