Types of Bees in Florida & How to Identify Them Safely.
Florida’s warm, sunny climate and abundant flowers make it a perfect place for bees to thrive. While bees are essential for our ecosystem, they can become a problem when they build hives in or around homes, especially in walls, attics, sheds, or trees near your property.
At Eco Bee Removal, we specialize in safe, eco-friendly bee removal across Florida — and that starts with knowing exactly what kind of bee you're dealing with.
In this blog, we’ll go over the most common types of bees and wasps we remove in Florida, along with identification tips to help you understand who’s buzzing around your home.
🐝 1. Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)
✔️ Identification:
Color: Golden-yellow with brown or black bands
Size: About ½ inch long
Behavior: Non-aggressive unless provoked; lives in large colonies
Nest Location: Inside walls, attics, trees, or under eaves
Honey bees are the most well-known bee species, and for good reason. They are critical pollinators, responsible for more than 75% of the food crops we eat. Florida has a high honeybee population, especially in the spring and summer.
If you spot large clusters of bees near your home or a steady stream of bees entering a hole in your wall, you might have a hidden honey bee hive.
✅ Important: Never try to exterminate honey bees. They are protected in many areas and should be humanely relocated, not killed.
🛠️ What We Do:
Our team safely removes honey bee colonies and relocates them to apiaries, where they can continue pollinating safely. No sprays. No poison. Just live, eco-friendly removal.
🛠️ 2. Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa spp.)
✔️ Identification:
Color: Shiny black or blue-black body with yellow fuzz on thorax
Size: ¾ to 1 inch long (larger than honey bees)
Behavior: Often mistaken for bumble bees, but solitary
Nest Location: Bores into wooden structures like decks, siding, fences, and eaves
Carpenter bees don’t live in colonies, but their habit of drilling perfectly round holes in wood makes them a nuisance. Over time, they can cause serious structural damage.
You may notice sawdust or small holes in wood and buzzing bees hovering nearby.
🚫 These bees rarely sting, but males can act aggressively to defend their territory.
🛠️ What We Do:
We identify carpenter bee nesting areas, gently remove the bees, and recommend wood treatments or repairs to prevent future infestations.
⚠️ 3. Wasps (Including Yellow Jackets & Paper Wasps)
While wasps are not technically bees, they are often confused with them, and they’re a lot more aggressive.
✔️ Identification (Paper Wasps):
Color: Brown with yellow markings
Size: Around ¾ inch long
Nest Location: Umbrella-shaped nests under roof eaves, porch ceilings, sheds
✔️ Identification (Yellow Jackets):
Color: Bright yellow and black stripes
Size: About ½ inch long
Behavior: Very aggressive, especially near the nest
Nest Location: Underground, in walls, or in hidden cavities
Wasps sting multiple times, unlike bees. Their presence around your home can be a serious safety risk, especially for children or pets.
❗ Wasps are not pollinators like bees and are generally considered pests.
🛠️ What We Do:
For wasp removal in Florida, we use targeted, eco-conscious solutions to remove the nest and eliminate the threat, without harming beneficial pollinators like honey bees.
🐝 4. Bumble Bees (Bombus spp.)
✔️ Identification:
Color: Fuzzy black and yellow body
Size: Large and round, about 1 inch
Behavior: Less aggressive; buzzes loudly
Nest Location: In the ground, compost piles, or under sheds
Bumble bees are gentle giants of the bee world. They live in small colonies and play an important role in pollination.
They are often seen buzzing slowly around flowers, especially in gardens and farms. If you spot them near the ground or shed corners, they may have built a nest.
🛠️ What We Do:
We safely relocate bumble bee nests away from human activity while ensuring the colony survives.
🐝 5. Africanized Bees (aka “Killer Bees”)
✔️ Identification:
Color: Similar to honey bees (hard to tell apart visually)
Behavior: Extremely defensive and attacks in swarms
Nest Location: Anywhere — walls, attics, trees, boxes, utility meters
Africanized bees are a hybrid species that have become more common in Florida over the last decade. Unlike regular honey bees, they are very aggressive and will chase people for long distances if disturbed.
⚠️ Their stings can be dangerous and even fatal in rare cases. Never attempt to remove an Africanized bee hive yourself.
🛠️ What We Do:
We approach Africanized bee colonies with extreme caution, using protective equipment and specialized techniques to ensure safe removal and relocation.
🔍 How to Tell If You Have a Bee Problem
Here are some signs you may need professional bee removal:
Constant buzzing sound in the walls or attic
Bees entering and exiting from the same hole
Honey or dark stains on walls or ceilings
Visible hive or swarms near your home
Aggressive bee behavior when you go outside
If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to call the experts.
🌿 Why Choose Eco Bee Removal?
Unlike exterminators, we don’t kill bees. We believe in protecting pollinators while keeping your home safe.
Here’s what makes us different:
✅ Live bee relocation
✅ No toxic chemicals
✅ Eco-conscious methods
✅ Trained, licensed professionals
✅ Quick and reliable service across Florida
📞 Call Now for Humane Bee and Wasp Removal in Florida
Whether it’s honey bees, carpenter bees, bumble bees, or aggressive wasps, Eco Bee Removal has the tools and experience to safely handle them all.
🛑 Don’t risk your safety — and don’t harm the bees.
Choose an eco-friendly solution that works for everyone.
📞 Call us today: (888) 282-1886
🌐 Visit: www.ecobeeremoval.com
