Bees, wasps and hornets are useful for pollination and insect population control. However beneficial, whether in swarms or alone, these pests can be nuisances for homeowners and a fatal hazard for some.

Generally the most prevalent bees are the common bee (bumble bee) and carpenter bee. The common bee is yellow and black and can be found in colonies. If provoked, these bees will attack, causing painful and sometimes fatal stings. The carpenter bee is solitary and nests in holes in exposed dry wood.

The difference between a wasp and a bee is that wasps are smooth, not hairy. Wasps are predatory and some species feed on insects, spiders and even small animals.

Things to know:

• Visual identification: Bees and wasps are mostly yellow and black, and have four wings. Bees are hairy and generally have rounder head and bodies than wasps do.
• Visible evidence: Carpenter bees nest in holes burrowed into unpainted wood, telephone poles or fence posts. Most bees live in colonies with over 20,000 residents.
• Stings: Not every bee or wasp stings. The common bee (bumble bee) is the one most humans concern themselves with, but if left alone they generally stay to themselves. A sting is characterized by a raised bump with a hole in the middle where a stinger entered – and still may be in – the skin.