Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758
Western Honey Bee in all of Ohio
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Apidae
- Genus
- Apis
Introduced and invasive status
Introduced in Ohio: iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Also listed
- Introduced in the lower 48 states
iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.
Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 8 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (2)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (50)
- Recorded, season not shown (28)
- Season shown (8)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | 41 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Ashtabula County | 94 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Athens County | 65 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Butler County | 225 · Season shown |
| Carroll County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Champaign County | 20 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Clark County | 47 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Clermont County | 83 · Season shown |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Columbiana County | 41 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | 40 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Cuyahoga County | 502 · Season shown |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | 87 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Erie County | 102 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fairfield County | 47 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fayette County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Franklin County | 825 · Season shown |
| Fulton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Gallia County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Geauga County | 41 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Greene County | 161 · Season shown |
| Guernsey County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hamilton County | 986 · Season shown |
| Hancock County | 34 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Hardin County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Harrison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Henry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Huron County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jackson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jefferson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | 68 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lawrence County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Licking County | 113 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lorain County | 90 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lucas County | 255 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Madison County | 157 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Mahoning County | 56 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Marion County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Medina County | 102 · Season shown |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Miami County | 28 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Monroe County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Montgomery County | 173 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Morgan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Muskingum County | 21 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Noble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Perry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pike County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Portage County | 178 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Putnam County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Richland County | 37 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Sandusky County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Scioto County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Seneca County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Shelby County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Stark County | 207 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Summit County | 469 · Season shown |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | 24 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Union County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Van Wert County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Vinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Warren County | 153 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | 62 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wood County | 86 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Delaware County
Not enough evidence
Records per week from 87 records in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Western Honey Bee | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 1 | 1 | 75 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 35 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 38 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Mar 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 73 |
| Mar 8–14 | 2 | 2 | 118 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 111 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 120 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 208 |
| Apr 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 304 |
| Apr 12–18 | 2 | 2 | 810 |
| Apr 19–25 | 2 | 2 | 622 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 2 | 2 | 561 |
| May 3–9 | 1 | 1 | 539 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 620 |
| May 17–23 | 2 | 2 | 560 |
| May 24–30 | 2 | 2 | 640 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 3 | 1 | 751 |
| Jun 7–13 | 1 | 1 | 746 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 593 |
| Jun 21–27 | 2 | 1 | 623 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 4 | 3 | 725 |
| Jul 5–11 | 2 | 1 | 597 |
| Jul 12–18 | 6 | 4 | 785 |
| Jul 19–25 | 4 | 3 | 848 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 6 | 4 | 646 |
| Aug 2–8 | 5 | 3 | 665 |
| Aug 9–15 | 5 | 4 | 612 |
| Aug 16–22 | 4 | 2 | 684 |
| Aug 23–29 | 4 | 4 | 775 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 7 | 4 | 782 |
| Sep 6–12 | 6 | 4 | 1,111 |
| Sep 13–19 | 2 | 2 | 827 |
| Sep 20–26 | 2 | 2 | 663 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 4 | 3 | 686 |
| Oct 4–10 | 1 | 1 | 576 |
| Oct 11–17 | 3 | 2 | 411 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 350 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 245 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 181 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 112 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 101 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 93 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 86 |
Reported as an adult
Only 6 records here are marked as adults, too few to show a adult season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Mid-April to mid-October, middle week Aug 2–8
Records per week from 7,755 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 1,744 dates. Latest record: December 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Western Honey Bee | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 2 | 2 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 2 | 2 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 1 | 1 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 8 | 5 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 21 | 2 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 8 | 3 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 18 | 6 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 29 | 8 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 32 | 7 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 40 | 8 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 29 | 9 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 68 | 8 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 86 | 8 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 128 | 10 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 104 | 10 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 141 | 9 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 89 | 9 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 70 | 10 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 95 | 9 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 115 | 10 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 157 | 10 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 214 | 10 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 216 | 9 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 271 | 10 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 346 | 10 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 350 | 10 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 330 | 10 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 364 | 10 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 390 | 10 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 344 | 10 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 321 | 10 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 256 | 10 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 263 | 10 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 385 | 10 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 362 | 10 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 446 | 10 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 458 | 10 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 431 | 10 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 318 | 10 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 172 | 10 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 95 | 10 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 77 | 9 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 30 | 8 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 37 | 6 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 8 | 4 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 8 | 5 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 1 | 1 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 1 | 1 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 6 | 3 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 5 | 3 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 7 | 4 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
Usually reported as an adult early April to mid-October, middle week Aug 2–8.
From 869 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.
Reported as a larva
No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- Common Eastern Bumble Bee Bombus impatiensOften confused in Ohio: 31 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Common Drone Fly Eristalis (Eristalis) tenaxOften confused in Ohio: 27 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Hairy-banded Mining Bee Andrena hirticinctaOften confused in Ohio: 24 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Wilke's Mining Bee Andrena wilkellaOften confused in Ohio: 11 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Ligated Furrow Bee Halictus ligatus242 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 75%49% |
| Farmland | 13%11% |
| Forest | 8%31% |
| Wetland | 2%5% |
| Grassland and shrub | 0.7%0.9% |
| Barren | 0.4%0.6% |
| Open water | 0.4%3% |
From 4,096 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
7,755 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 7,734 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 21 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.