Do you want to learn about the MOST Common Bees in California ?
Finding a Guide to the MOST Common Bees in California was not as easy as I thought . There are lots of bee in California and some of the guides were too wide , others were irrelevant , and some did n’t provide enough data .
That ’s why I created a leaning of the10 MOST Common Bees in California .
This ultimate guide will not only give you the most coarse bee in California but also significant and interesting fact about them .
10 MOST Common Beesin California
#1. Honey Bee(Apis mellifera)
Identifying Characteristics and Facts
As the name bespeak , dearest bees are known for their honey production . They do this by collecting nectar from flowers of dissimilar plant , then using it to make beloved .
If you look at California Gardens and bloom you are stick to find honey bees . They love go from one plant to another in hunt of nectar and are peachy pollinator . This is vital for better garden , fruiting trees , and other plants .
Not only that , but one of the best parts of honey bees is the love they produce . Most of the fourth dimension , they are kept by farmers in hive for the yield of dearest and can be found almost anywhere in the world .
#2. Leaf-cutting bee(Megachile spp)
These are the type of bee that are common in California and known for cutting and transporting leaves . Their cuts are keen and circular and you could easy identify them from the leaves they demolish . They use the leaves cut to in the first place construct their cells .
Unlike honey bees , leafage - cutting bees do not know in dependency . They live individually in their nest , or hollow plant staunch . When you see a leaf - cutting bee it is not unusual to see only one at a metre .
Regardless of whether or not they live in settlement , these are important pollination federal agent . While cut the leaves that they use for their nest , they can carry pollen on their hairy body to the next industrial plant blossom .
#3. Bumble bee(Bombus spp)
Bumblebees are societal insect that you may always find in California . They have a queen that lays eggs , female workers , and males or drones .
One matter you will note about the bumblebee is their bombination nature . They resonate while on the flower and hence are great pollinators . They do this so that they are capable to extract pollen metric grain with informality .
It is also worth for you to take note that these bees are most active during summer and spring . Therefore , you will find them with ease during this season . Not only this , but you ’ll also be capable to tell this type of bee by how much bigger it is than other bees !
#4. Sweat bee(Halictidae spp)
These are unwashed bee that you will not only find in California but across the Earth . As the name order it , they are call in sweat bees because they have a eminent phylogenetic relation to sweat out body fluid .
It is also important to observe that sweat bee are also classified into unlike specie . There are several coinage of these bees and each comes with their distinct machine characteristic .
Due to their dieting and nature , you are likely to find them in bathrooms , garden , or anywhere with human sudor . This is because they are attract by the salts and the moisture that is in the human fluid .
One common feature across the metal money of these bee is their docile nature or behaviour . They are not aggressive and that means they do not prick . The rare time you would get stung by this is if you are comprehend to be unfriendly or aggressive towards it .
#5. Large Carpenter bee(Xylocopa spp)
The large carpenter bee is one of the orotund bee in California . Of course , it is not only the largest in California but is also one of the largest in the existence .
It is one of the common bees in California cognize to unearth tunnel in dead woods for their nesting . Their home ground is principally wooden social organisation but they go solitarily and not in colony .
When it comes to their importance , magnanimous carpenter bee are great pollinators . These bees are more pull to tubular - influence flowers like the horn vines and this assist a lot in transferring pollen across these types of flowers .
Related : Useful Plants That Attract Bees to Your Garden
Comparing the female and virile gravid carpenter bees , you will note that the females have the stinger while the males do not . Though this is the casing , they are still docile and are less likely to bunko unless raise .
#6. Mason bee(Osmia spp)
Their masonry behavior is what give this bee its name . They use chewed industrial plant material or clay to build partitioned brood cells inside existing wood cavities .
While stonemason bees build brood cells inside existing wood cavities it should be noted that they are a lonely type of bee . They do not subsist in colonies like some other bees but in general exhibit similar doings .
It is important to note that these bees are not aggressive to humans but rather docile . They rarely sting and will avoid humans at all costs .
In addition to that , they are excellent pollinator . Just like other bee , this is an significant bionomic social function that promotes reproduction in plant .
#7. Squash bee(Peponapis pruinose)
The reason why this case of bee is called squash vine bee is that they only call for pollen from the squash flowers . The squash bee is one of the common bee in California and is also common in other parts of the world .
To easily spy these bees , you will postulate to check the gardens that have Cucurbitaceae sept plants cultivated . These include the squash vine , pumpkins , and gourds .
These bees also nest in the ground where you will find the plants that they pollinate . They , therefore , play ecological grandness in the pollenation of these plants as well as reproduction .
It is also important to add that they are excellent pollinators . You will see them mostly during the warm month or season when there are squash peak .
#8. Small carpenter bee(Ceratina spp)
This is a small adaptation of the large carpenter bee . They are important when it comes to promoting pollenation in plants . As they move from one flower to another , they carry pollen in their bodies which is crucial in the reproduction process .
When it come to aggression , these bees are less strong-growing than large carpenter . That means they are less likely to bunko unless they feel threatened .
The most interesting affair about these bees is their nesting behavior . They can ramp up their brood cells in different materials such as empty twigs , honest-to-goodness insect tunnel , and plant stems . You should be extra careful during fall cleanup not to disturb minuscule carpenter bee .
#9. Mining bee(Andrena spp)
minelaying bees are another type of nonsocial bee . That means they do n’t go in colonies but rather in their own nests . These bees are common in California and as well as in many other parts of the world .
minelaying bees are called this because of their nesting behavior . They excavate tunnels into the primer coat where they build their nest . You will , therefore , likely find their nests in the meadows , lawns , and garden among other open area .
It is also worth for you to note that mining bee are seasonal . That imply they are only active during summer and spring . They are also non - aggressive and do not sting .
#10. Long-Horned Bees(Melissods spp)
Did you know that there are over 200 coinage of long - tusk bees ? Of course , this is one kinsfolk with several species and various characteristic .
These bee are predominant in California and in most other areas across the earth . Most of the longhorn bees ’ species have some specific character of plants that they pollinate . Therefore , they are great for boost pollination and facts of life .
It is also worth for you to take down that since the long - tusk bees come in a variety of species , they thus have varying color and sizes .
The reason behind the name ‘ long - tusk bees ’ is the long antenna . They have about two to three times longer antenna than their physical structure size . In accession to that , they play an authoritative ecological role in pollination and reproduction .
Of naturally , these are just some of the common bees in California that I have captured . You will realize that most types also have hundreds of metal money with vary characteristics .
We , therefore , may not exhaust discuss each one of them but the above are the most coarse unity you will easy find in California .
Common Factors of the Most Common Bees in California
As a reminder , the below agent are common for the most common insects :
