What is the difference between Honeybees, Wasps (Yellow Jackets) and Bumblebees?

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Honeybees are the highest form of insect life, they live in a well organized colony that does not need to hibernate. They produce honey and store it in wax comb and use the same hive from one year to the next.

Typical max population 30,000-40,000.

Wasps start in the spring with a single queen wasp that has hibernated under leaves or in cracks. The queen wasp builds a new hive constructed from paper and about the size of a golf ball. This hive (byke) builds up through the summer, however no honey is stored. In the autumn the colony organization breaks down, with homeless wasps becoming an increasing nuisance around bins and rubbish.

Typical max. population 2,000.

Bumblebees or as the Victorian’s called them ‘Humble bees’ like wasps, only the queen hibernates and survives the winter. In the spring the queen bumblebee seeks an old mouse or vole hole and builds within it a nest of leaves and moss. She constructs nodular wax cells and incubates her young as a bird would. As her first offspring hatch and begin to fly the queen increasingly stays within the hive to produce young. Bumblebees do make a small amount of honey but it is unripe as they have need to reduce the water content to make it last until the winter, and they store this watery honey in special cup like cells. There is no more than a few tablespoons at any time which is used to tide them over during spells of inclement weather.

Typical max. population only 50-150.

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