What a Bee Is Bee, or honeybee, is the word many people use to describe any flying insect that has wings and a stinger. But honeybees are really only one of a group of insects that includes wasps , hornets , fire ants , and yellow jackets . Honeybees are light golden brown, and their bodies are covered with fuzz. Wasps are reddish-brown and have skinny bodies, and they often make nests under the porches of buildings. Bald-faced hornets are black with white markings, and they build nests shaped like footballs in trees and shrubs.
Fire ants are tiny and reddish-brown and live in nests under the ground.
Yellow jackets have yellow and black stripes on their bodies and are smaller than wasps, hornets, and honeybees. They make their nests in the ground or in old tree stumps. If a person is stung by any of these insects, the sting will feel a lot like a shot at the doctor's office. The site of the sting will feel hot, and it may itch. A red bump surrounded by white skin will develop around the sting, except for the sting of the fire ant.