# What Bees Be These? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2008, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bees-be-these/458477 "2008-08-01T11:29:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bees-be-these/458477/1 "2008-08-01T11:29:02Z")
I don’t have a picture because these guys won’t land! Somewhere under a small pine-like tree, little bees (smaller than honey bees) keep flying in and out from a nest in the ground. My wife was stung twice (simultaneously) while doing some yard work nearby. Could these be hornets? I don’t know what hornets look like, and the pictures I’ve seen do not give me a feel for actual size. There is no tell-tale, typical hornet’s nest. But, what else could they be? [I should add it is too early for yellow jackets. They’re not in vogue yet! 😉] ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bees-be-these/458477/2 "2008-08-01T13:08:34Z")
I would recommend posting where you are since there’s a lot of insects out there. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bees-be-these/458477/3 "2008-08-01T13:16:40Z")
Do any of [these](http://bugguide.net/node/view/4968) look familiar? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bees-be-these/458477/4 "2008-08-01T14:07:24Z")
[QUOTE=groman] I would recommend posting where you are since there’s a lot of insects out there. [/QUOTE] Didn’t you catch his location? They’re obviously Space Bees… ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bees-be-these/458477/5 "2008-08-01T18:44:55Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] I don’t have a picture because these guys won’t land! Somewhere under a small pine-like tree, little bees (smaller than honey bees) keep flying in and out from a nest in the ground. My wife was stung twice (simultaneously) while doing some yard work nearby. Could these be hornets? I don’t know what hornets look like, and the pictures I’ve seen do not give me a feel for actual size. There is no tell-tale, typical hornet’s nest. But, what else could they be? [I should add it is too early for yellow jackets. They’re not in vogue yet! 😉] [/QUOTE] I’d put my money on yellow jackets, actually. They are around all summer. They do good by eating other insects and keep to themselves, then in the late summer get a taste for sugar and become pests. Until the autumn they are mild mannered and don’t bug you - UNLESS you get too close to their nest, which is often in the ground. Lots more info [here.](http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/yellowjackets.htm#identification)