Bee Identification in the UK
Britain is home to more than 270 species of bees. They range from the familiar honeybee to the larger, fuzzier bumblebees and the many smaller solitary species that often go unnoticed.
Each plays an important role in pollination, supporting both wildflowers and food crops.
This guide will help you recognise the most common types of bees seen in the UK and understand a little about their life-cycles. Learning to tell them apart is the first step in helping protect and support them.
Main Bee Types
Honeybee (Apis mellifera) – social, lives in colonies, produces honey.
Bumblebees – social but seasonal, forming small annual colonies.
Solitary Bees – the largest group; females build and provision their own nests.
Honeybee Identification (UK)
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is the only true honey-producing bee species native to the UK.
They are smaller and slimmer than bumblebees, with a smoother appearance and a more direct flight path.
How to Recognise a Honeybee
Size: Around 12–15 mm long.
Colour: Golden brown with darker bands; less hairy than bumblebees.
Shape: Streamlined with a pointed abdomen.
Behaviour: Flies purposefully in numbers and often seen visiting many flowers in succession.
Honeybees are social insects that live in large colonies, either in managed hives or in wild cavities such as hollow trees or walls. Colonies are active most of the year, with a brief pause during winter.
Honeybee Role in Nature
Honeybees are vital pollinators of fruit trees, clovers, and many crops. Managed hives also support local pollination where natural colonies are scarce.
Further reading:
Bumblebee Identification and Lifecycle
Bumblebees are the round, furry bees that most people recognise instantly.
There are 24 species in the UK, each with its own distinctive pattern of stripes and tail colours.
Identifying Bumblebees
Appearance: Plump, furry bodies with black, yellow, or orange bands.
Flight: Slow and steady, often close to flowers.
Size: Generally larger than honeybees.
Behaviour: Often seen alone or in small groups rather than large swarms.
Lifecycle
Spring: A mated queen emerges from hibernation and searches for a nest site — usually in old mouse holes, grass tussocks, or bird boxes.
Early Summer: She lays eggs that hatch into workers who take over foraging and nest duties.
Late Summer: New queens and males are produced. After mating, the males die and the new queens hibernate to start the cycle again the following year.
Bumblebees do not store honey in large amounts. Their colonies naturally decline each autumn.
Solitary Bees of the UK
Around 90% of the UK’s bee species are solitary.
Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees don’t live in colonies. Each female builds and provisions her own nest, often in small holes, sandy soil, or hollow stems.
Common Types of Solitary Bee
Mining Bees (Andrena) – nest in the ground, often in sunny banks or lawns.
Mason Bees (Osmia) – use mud to seal nest holes in walls or bee hotels.
Leafcutter Bees (Megachile) – cut neat circles from leaves to line their nest cells.
Flower Bees (Anthophora) – fast-flying, often hover near flowers.
Lifecycle
Each female solitary bee:
Builds several small cells.
Stocks each with pollen and nectar.
Lays one egg per cell and seals it.
The young develop safely inside until the following spring or summer, when they emerge as adults.
Because they don’t defend hives, solitary bees are extremely gentle and rarely sting.
Bee Look-Alikes (Hoverflies, Hornets and Wasps)
Not every buzzing insect is a bee.
Some hoverflies, hornets and wasps mimic bees for protection — and while they look similar, their behaviour and body shapes are quite different.
Hoverflies
Wings: Only one pair (bees have two).
Behaviour: Hover almost motionless before darting away.
Body: Smooth, shiny, and often brightly patterned.
Good to know: They’re harmless and excellent garden pollinators.
Wasps
Body: Smooth, shiny, with a distinct narrow waist.
Colour: Brighter yellow and black than most bees.
Behaviour: More aggressive, particularly late in summer.
Role: Predators that help control pests but not major pollinators.
Hornets
Hornets are generally longer and more slenderer than honeybees. While bumble bees and honey bees then to have orange-yellow, black, or tan stripes. Hornets have mostly brown bodies with yellow stripes or hints of red coloration.
If you suspect a honeybee nest or swarm in the Morecambe, Lancaster, Heysham or Carnforth area, please phone us for quick, friendly help: 07899951664.