Summer is buzzing with pollinators, including two look-alike bees: bumble and carpenter bees. Though both bees are relatively large and similar in coloration, a wild double take can reveal differences in appearance and behavior.

Find tips for identifying Oklahoma’s look-alike species in our video series on YouTube.

Similarities: Bumble and carpenter bees are large for bees, and queens of American bumble bees and eastern carpenter bees may grow to nearly an inch in length. Both species are yellow and black in color; native to Oklahoma; and visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar. Bees are considered “heterothermic,” meaning they can generate their own heat through flight muscles, but the air temperature determines how much energy this heat production requires and limits flight performance. Males of bumble and carpenter bees are not able to sting. 

Differences: These bees may look similar at first glance but can be distinguished by a variety of features. Bumble bees tend to have a mix of yellow and black bands on the body and have hairy or fuzzy abdomens. While some bumble bees have a black spot or "bald patch" on the thorax, American bumble bees do not have this spot. Eastern carpenter bees have a bald patch on the thorax and the abdomens are largely black and shiny. Male eastern carpenter bees may also be identified by their white facial markings.  

Bumble and carpenter bees may also be distinguished by their lifestyles. Like other bumbles, mated queen American bumble bees emerge from their burrows in spring and begin feeding and laying multiple batches of eggs in an underground nest. Sterile female worker bees begin emerging after a month and forage to feed later broods. Reproductive males and females are produced later in the year and leave the nest and mate. Only the mated queens hibernate in burrows while the rest of the colony dies in the fall. In contrast, carpenter bees, whose scientific name Xylocopa translates to “wood cutter,” chew round holes into wood to build nests. Small chambers are constructed in a linear bore, and each chamber contains an enclosed egg deposited with a pollen and nectar ball. All female eastern carpenter bees can mate and raise offspring, though some females may help queens if resources are limited. Adult carpenter bees that survive the year hibernate in the nest. 

Bumble Bee Guides

The American bumble bee is one of about ten bumbles that can be found in Oklahoma. Get more details about identifying individual bumble bees, their range, and active seasons in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Bumble Bees of the Eastern United States, or in OSU Extension's Key to Female Bumble Bees of Oklahoma.

If you encounter bumble or carpenter bees while exploring Outdoor Oklahoma, consider sharing the sighting on free nature platforms like iNaturalist. Adding a photo to your observation can allow others to help confirm the identification.