The Halictidae family contains 3,500 species that are found all over the world. Some species are attracted to sweat, leading them to be called sweat bees. Unlike other bees, these types of bees often have a dark metallic appearance and are quite beautiful, looking like little jewels flying through the sky. Do they sting: Striped green sweat bees are capable of stinging, but they are generally not aggressive and are not known to sting unless directly provoked or handled. Defensive behavior might be exhibited if their nest is disturbed or if they perceive a threat to their offspring. Are they pollinators: Square-spotted mourning bees, while not significant pollinators themselves, indirectly impact pollination through their parasitic interactions with other bee species, particularly the Andrena mining bees. By controlling the population of their host bees, they may indirectly affect the pollination dynamics of the plants that the host bees typically visit for foraging and nesting purposes. Supporting the health of all types of bees requires creating a diverse and pesticide-free environment rich in native flowers, trees, and shrubs to offer a variety of pollen and nectar sources. Do they sting: Southeastern blueberry bees are capable of stinging, but they are not known to be aggressive. They typically only sting in response to significant threats or disturbances, especially to their nests or offspring.

This species is cleptoparasitic on other bees, especially in the genera Halictus, Andrena, and Lasioglossum. This means they use other bees’ provisions to feed their young, so they themselves do not collect pollen (though they do feed on nectar).Honey bees are known for their construction of perennial colonial nests from wax, the large size of their colonies, and surplus production and storage of honey, distinguishing their hives as a prized foraging target of many animals, including honey badgers, bears and human hunter-gatherers. Only 8 surviving species of honey bee are recognized, with a total of 43 subspecies, though historically 7 to 11 species are recognized. Honey bees represent only a small fraction of the roughly 20,000 known species of bees. They are solitary bees, meaning they do not form complex colonies or hives like some other bee species. Instead, each female constructs and provisions her own nest, laying eggs and providing a supply of pollen and nectar for the developing larvae. Females feed on squash, pumpkin, and gourd flowers, their sole source of pollen. They’re excellent pollinators of zucchini and butternuts, among many other varieties of the cucurbit family, and are so thorough at their job that later visits by honeybees do little for those same crops. Worker bees cooperate to find food and use a pattern of "dancing" (known as the bee dance or waggle dance) to communicate information regarding resources with each other; this dance varies from species to species, but all living species of Apis exhibit some form of the behavior. If the resources are very close to the hive, they may also exhibit a less specific dance commonly known as the "round dance".

The Melittidae family only contains about 200 species with limited distribution in Africa. The Stenotritidae family is smaller still, containing only 21 species that are only found in Australia. How to identify bees Are they pollinators: Bumble bees are important pollinators for various flowering plants. They contribute to the pollination of crops like tomatoes, peppers, and berries, as well as wildflowers such as clover and lupine. One easy thing to remember is that bees can only sting once before dying, while wasps can (and do!) sting multiple times. Do they sting: Small carpenter bees are capable of stinging, but they are generally non-aggressive and not known to sting unless directly provoked or handled. They may exhibit defensive behavior if their nest or offspring is under threat.Do they sting: Miner bees are capable of stinging, but they are generally not aggressive and are not known to sting unless directly handled or threatened. Defensive behavior might be exhibited if their nest is disturbed or if they perceive a threat to their offspring.