There are several types of bees in the world, but only a few live in the Caribbean. Some types of bees that live in the Caribbean include bumblebees, carpenter bees, and honey bees.
| Bumblebee gathering nectar |  |
| Honey bees are fuzzy with hairy bodies. Their abdomen has bands that are colored either orange and brown or brown and black and they have a yellow thorax with black bands.
Honey bees are generally smaller than carpenter bees. They live in hives with hundreds of other honey bees. |
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| Carpenter bees are found in most Caribbean islands. They make their nests in wood. This may be in trees, houses, and wooden outdoor furniture. Some have yellow markings and they are often mistaken for bumble bees. If you get close enough, you can tell them apart because their abdomen is hairless. |  |
Excerpt from The Buzz about Caribbean Honey Bees by Otis Jeffers.
Photos under license from ShutterStock.
Can you spot any differences between the bees? Your answer might look like:
The carpenter bee has __________________ but the bumblebee does not.
OR
The carpenter bee lives in a __________________ but the honey bee lives in a ____________.