Bees vs Yellow Jackets

The most common stinging insects we find in Southern California are bees and wasps. Most people mistake Yellow Jacket Wasps for Bees and there's a very quick way to tell the difference. The obvious difference is coloring. Yellow jackets are un-mistakingly neon yellow with distinct black striping. While bees are more sunset yellow or even orange, sometimes almost entirely black and their color banding kind of blends from orange to black. Bees are also furry, while wasps are essentially bald. Another quick way to spot the difference is that yellow jackets eat meat. If a "bee" is after your sandwich, it's a wasp. 

When it comes to their nesting sites, yellow jackets build their nests underground 99% of the time and Bees build their nests in tree cavities, walls, and just about any large empty space that doesn't require digging holes. The next big difference is sound. The first defense mechanism that Bees use is sound and there's no mistaking the sound of an aggressive Bee that wants you to move. Wasps, on the other hand, are virtually silent and the first defense mechanism they use is a painful sting and they don't stop stinging until you brush it off and get out of their area.