Black Bees

Bees are some of the most commonly seen flying insects. As per entomology, they are closely related to other social insects, like the ants and wasps. Bees are not only important as sources for honey and beeswax, but they play a crucial role in the overall functioning of the ecosystem. Bees along with certain types of flying insects are primary pollinating agents for nearly all types of flowers. In fact, they account to about 80 percent of insect pollination.

Most of us are not bothered about the types of bees and their respective colors. As of date, about 12,000-20,000 species of bees are identified scientifically under 7-9 families. Of the identified species, approximately 600 types of bees are social in behavior and live in colonies. In a single bee hive, there may be 40-45,000 bees. More information on black bees and their types are discussed in the following paragraphs.


Types of Black Bees
So, you have noticed some black bees in your garden and are keen to identify the species? Truly speaking, nearly all types of bees are dark in color. Most of them are gray, brown or black, with or without stripes in the abdomen portion. However, you will also find bees of yellow, metallic green, blue or red colors. Different types of black bees, differing in size and their color pattern, are highlighted below.

European Dark Bees
Also known as German black bees, the European dark bees are domesticated on a wide scale. The characteristic features of these bees are compact body, less hair in the abdomen and thick hair growth in the thorax areas. The aggressive subspecies of these black bees can be identified from yellowish bands present on the sides of the abdomen.

Bumblebees
A classic example of large black bees with yellow stripes is the bumble bee, a common plant pollinator distributed widely. If you notice black bees in the ground, most probably they are bumblebees. Though bumblebees are beneficial for agriculturists, they are aggressive and can sting repeatedly, especially, when irritated.

Carpenter Bees
They are not purely black, but carpenter bees are bluish black in color. The name is coined with reference to the specific attribute that these bees bore wood for making their nests. Classified as solitary types, female carpenter bees are fertile and they build their own nests. These black bees sting, but do not pose a threat to passerby.

Ground Bees
Basically ground bees are related to the yellow jackets and they resemble each other in their color pattern. However, these black bees are much smaller in size and more aggressive than the yellow jackets. Body adorned with bright yellow and black stripes, the ground bees build their nest underground, about 2 inch to 2 feet below the surface.

Western Honey Bees
Another type of black bees is western honey bee, which stores honey in the combs. They are small black bees (abut 1.3 cm in length), of which some have yellow and brown bands in the abdominal portion. Colonies of western honey bees are reared by beekeepers all across the globe for their beneficial products.

The above mentioned black bees vary in color (purely black, black and yellow striped bees), size (small and large), feeding habit (feed on specific flower or many flowers) and overall behavior (social, semisocial or solitary). While handling any type of black bees in house or garden, make sure you are equipped with protective gears, as bee stings are quite painful. Some of them even have the ability to sting many times, thus, adding to skin irritation symptoms.

Article Source:  buzzle.com