Bees

Pollinator gardens attract a wide variety of bees. Honey Bees, yes, but also many local specialists. According to the Bees of North Carolina, there are 558 species of bees in the state. As of July 2025, I’ve spotted 26 kinds of bees in the garden. Here are some of my favorites.

Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

About 400 years ago, settlers brought Honey Bees from Europe for their honey and wax. Now here in the States they are usually farmed beings, like cows or chickens. I see more Honey Bees here than all the other species combined.

Common Eastern Bumble Bee (Bombus impatiens)

The most common native bee is furrier, bigger, and more adorable than the Honey Bee.

Two-Spotted Bumble Bee (Bombus bimaculatus)

It’s hard for me to tell sometimes, but a Two-Spotted Bumble Bees will have two yellow spots on their abdomen. The bottom image shows that more clearly than the others. The hard yellow or orange blobs on their rear legs are pollen sacs, not the spots.

Brown-Belted Bumble Bee (Bombus griseocollis)

This well-dressed bee has a distinctive rusty belt.

American Bumble Bee

I’m thrilled every time I see one of these large striped bees in the garden. They used to be one of the most common bumble bees in the southern US, but now are threatened. The first one I recognized visited in 2023, two years after I added native plants in the rain garden and water feature.