Different Types of Bees in Ohio: From Honey Bees to Rare Bumble Bees
October 25, 2026
Ohio is home to approximately 500 native bee species, yet the bee most people picture first is not one of them. Honey bees are native to Europe and Asia, not North America. Sorting out the different types of bees in Ohio starts with that surprise, because the state’s wild bees are far more varied than the hive on a farm.
This article covers the three groups Ohioans meet most often: honey bees, bumble bees, and carpenter bees. It then profiles the bumble bee species that Ohio State University Extension counts among the roughly dozen seen in the state. Some are still common in backyards. Others have faded so much that spotting one is a real event.
For a wider look at six-legged residents, the types of insects in Ohio page is a good companion. The Ohio State pollinator quick guide is a solid starting point for anyone who wants to help native bees.
1. Honey Bee
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is the one Ohio bee that most people can name on sight. Workers measure 12 to 15 millimeters and have light to deep brown bodies with alternating pale and dark stripes on the abdomen. The abdomen is round and barrel-shaped, and the fuzzy head has a heart shape.
Honey bees live in large colonies, so a single hive can hold thousands of workers. The Ohio Division of Wildlife field guide notes that honey bees are among Ohio’s only highly social bees. Most honey bees seen on Ohio flowers come from managed hives, though feral colonies exist in hollow trees and wall voids.
Anyone curious about how keepers house these colonies can read about the different types of beehives. Honey bees are gentle when foraging and defend mainly at the hive entrance.
2. Bumble Bee
Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are the large, fuzzy pollinators that bumble from clover to coneflower. Ohio State Extension says they are sometimes called the teddy bears of the bee world because of their hairy bodies and bumbling flight. North America has 45 native bumble bee species, with about a dozen seen in Ohio.
Adults range from 8 to 21 mm long. Queens emerge from underground hibernation in early spring and search for nest sites in abandoned rodent burrows, under leaf piles, or in tall grass. They are excellent pollinators of plants that need buzz pollination, such as tomatoes.
Their numbers have slipped, though. A statewide survey in 2017 and 2018 found 10 bumble bee species. The table below groups Ohio’s bumble bees by how they are faring, based on the Ohio State bumble bee factsheet and other sources.
| Group | Bumble Bees | What Sources Report |
|---|---|---|
| Still widespread | Common eastern, brown-belted, two-spotted | Described as common in the state |
| Declining | Golden northern, black-and-gold, American | Used to be common, now much less so |
| Also recorded | Perplexing, half-black, lemon cuckoo | Listed among Ohio’s bumble bees |
| Federally endangered | Rusty-patched | Rarely spotted in Ohio in the last two decades |
Pro Tip: Look at the abdomen first. Most Ohio bumble bees have a fuzzy, hair-covered abdomen with distinct color bands, and that fuzz is the fastest way to tell them from carpenter bees.
3. Carpenter Bee
The eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) is the large, bumble-bee lookalike buzzing around porches each spring. Carpenter bees become more visible in Northeast Ohio as April progresses. They resemble bumble bees but have a shiny, hairless abdomen.
Males often startle homeowners. They have yellow or white facial markings and are often seen hovering around wooden structures in spring. Males have no stinger, and females rarely use theirs, so the aerial display is mostly bluff. For the stinging details across species, see the page on different types of bees that sting.
Large carpenter bees bore into wood, like fences or eaves, to make nests. They tunnel rather than eat the wood, which separates them from termites. If you are comparing wood-damaging insects, the guide to different types of termites shows the contrast.
| Feature | Carpenter Bee | Bumble Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Abdomen | Shiny and hairless | Fuzzy with color bands |
| Nest Site | Tunnels in bare wood | Rodent burrows, leaf litter, tall grass |
| Social Life | Mostly solitary | Small colonies |
4. Common Eastern Bumble Bee
The common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) tops the Ohio State list of the state’s bumble bees. It is the species most gardeners see on bee balm, milkweed, and impatiens from spring through fall. Its thorax is yellow, its head is black, and the rear of the abdomen is black.
These bees dig underground tunnels for their nests. A colony starts with one queen in spring and grows through summer. Workers are the bees you see most, and they keep flying until the first hard frosts.
5. Brown-Belted Bumble Bee
The brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis) gets its name from the rusty brown band across the middle of its abdomen. It is a common species in Ohio. The bee often visits wildflowers and vegetable gardens, including tomato and bean plants.
Its nests usually sit underground, but they are also found above ground. That flexibility may help it persist in suburban yards, where undisturbed soil is hard to find. Leaving a corner of the garden unmown gives queens a place to nest.
6. Two-Spotted Bumble Bee
The two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus) is one of the earlier risers among Ohio’s bumble bees. The Ohio State factsheet points to a field mark worth knowing: a faint yellow “w” on the otherwise black part of the abdomen. The mark is easy to miss without a close photo.
It is among the bumble bees that occur in Northeast Ohio alongside the common eastern bumble bee. One field guide calls it one of the most common bees in Ohio and the US, and not endangered like other bumble bees. Like ladybugs and other helpful garden insects, it benefits from fewer pesticides. The different types of ladybugs are another group worth welcoming.
7. Golden Northern Bumble Bee
The golden northern bumble bee (Bombus fervidus) is a long-faced, golden-yellow bumble bee that favors open meadows and prairie remnants. Ohio State Extension lists it among species that used to be common but are becoming much less so.
Its decline makes a sighting worth recording. Late-summer flowers such as goldenrod, asters, and ironweed give it the fuel it needs before winter. Planting those in a sunny border is a simple way to help.
8. Perplexing Bumble Bee
The perplexing bumble bee (Bombus perplexus) earned its name from how easily it is confused with similar yellow-and-black species. It appears on the Ohio State list of the state’s bumble bees. A clear photo of the thorax and abdomen markings helps with identification.
It is more of a woodland-edge bee than a lawn visitor. Look for it in shaded gardens and along forest trails where wildflowers bloom. Many casual observers log it as another species, so it may be more common than records suggest.
9. Half-Black Bumble Bee
The half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans) has yellow on the front half of its body and mostly black on the back half. The Ohio State factsheet includes it among Ohio’s bumble bees. It is a medium-sized bee that forages from spring through early fall.
Its coloring resembles several relatives, which is why the two-spotted and perplexing bumble bees get mistaken for it. Check the thorax and the pattern of yellow on the abdomen. It also serves as a host for the lemon cuckoo bumble bee, covered below.
10. Black-and-Gold Bumble Bee
The black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) is a large, velvety bee that lives in open grassland and prairie edges. Ohio State Extension lists it among the species that used to be common but are becoming much less so.
It has a broad black band across the abdomen and golden hair on the thorax and front of the abdomen. Prairie restoration and roadside pollinator plantings may offer it the best chance to rebound. Ohio’s grassland patches have shrunk, so the habitat it depends on is limited.
11. American Bumble Bee
The American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) is a big, robust bee that once flew across most of Ohio’s open country. Ohio State Extension says it is one of several species that used to be common but are becoming much less so. It belongs on any watch list of Ohio pollinators.
Large queens fly early in the year and look for nest sites near the ground. The bees favor clover, thistles, and other open-field flowers. Gardeners who skip late-season mowing and leave seed heads standing provide food and shelter for the colonies that follow.
12. Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bee
The lemon cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus citrinus) is the odd one out on Ohio’s bumble bee list. The Ohio State factsheet includes it among Ohio’s bumble bees. It is a social parasite: the female enters a nest of another bumble bee, such as the half-black or two-spotted, and lays her eggs there.
Cuckoo bumble bees do not raise workers of their own. Because of that, they lack the pollen baskets that other bumble bees carry on their hind legs. Its lemon-yellow coloring and the fact that it depends on healthy host colonies make it a good indicator of a thriving bumble bee community.
13. Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee
The rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) was once one of the most widespread bumble bees in the eastern United States. Its workers and males have a small rust-colored patch on the middle of the second abdominal segment. It has declined from an estimated 87% of its historic range in recent years.
Responding to a Xerces Society petition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave the bee endangered status in January 2017. Details are on the Xerces Society profile. Ohio State reports that the bee has only rarely been spotted in Ohio in the last two decades.
Important Note: Sources disagree about whether the rusty-patched bumble bee still lives in Ohio. The USFWS species profile lists Ohio among states where it is believed to occur, but notes that since 2017 it has been reported from only 8 states, and Ohio is not among them. A Ohio park district article says the statewide survey found none and the bee appears to have disappeared from the state.
If you think you have found one, photograph it from several angles and report it to your county Extension office. Whatever your yard hosts, native flowers and undisturbed soil help every bee on this list. The Ohio bee identification guide from the Pollinator Partnership can help you sort out the rest, and the pages on different types of bees and different types of insects go further.