Bumble bees are not very aggressive, nest anywhere they can feel protected, and are beneficial pollinators of both crops and wildflowers. These bees live in small colonies of hundreds, and can be quite gentle. Bumble bees have a fuzzy abdomen.
Carpenter bees are very similar in appearance to bumble bees, but have a smooth abdomen as opposed to the fuzzy abdomen of bumble bees. These bees are solitary, and CANNOT sting. They burrow into wood, and can be a pest in some wood homes.
Bald-faced hornets are large wasps that live in large nests made of mottled gray paper, usually in trees. These wasps are quite aggressive and put a whopper of a sting on you. Tread lightly around these wasps.
Paper wasps build smaller nests of paper usually on overhangs of buildings. They are moderately aggressive, but the small colonies are quite easy to handle. Catching these nests early with only one or two wasps on it is best for controlling them.
The honey bee is a valuable pollinator and the source of the honey we eat in this country. If you see a honey bee, chances are a beekeeper lives in the area. These bees are not very aggressive, especially alone on flowers. Please help us protect honey bees by calling to try and safely re-home bee colonies that try to establish in your home.
Yellow jacket wasps are the nuisance wasps that crawl in your soda can and bother you at picnics. They are fairly aggressive and will sting without much provocation. They build nests underground, in trees/shrubs or, unfortunately, in structures such as your attic or walls.