Ants, Bees, and Wasps
This is a huge order of insects (Hymenoptra) characterized by a distinctive “waist”, large mandibles for chewing, four wings (except in many ants), and a full metamorphosis (egg, larva, adult).
Ants
This is a large black ant found througout New Hampshire.
These ants have a black abdomen and a red head and thorax.
Pavement ants are tiny and are often found (no surprise) building colonies under pavement.
Bees
This small bee is dazzlingly beautiful and is a frequent visitor in our gardens.
This is a striking bee with bright yellow bands around its abdomen. It’s most common spring and early summer.
This is our most common bumble bee in NH. It has a bright yellow thorax and a black fuzzy abdomen.
Carpenter bees look like bumble bees, but they’re a bit larger and have shiny black abdomens.
These chunky bees are brightly colored and look a bit like round yellow hornets.
Honey bees are common medium-sized bees with distinctive orange and black banded abdomens.
Wasps
Keep your distance from this large and aggressive yellowjacket!
These are brilliant little gems of the garden.
Yellowjackets are aggressive hornets that are especially common in the late summer and fall.
Northern paper wasps are perhaps our most recognizable wasp. They can be quite aggressive, especially if their nest is disturbed.