Those “Sweat Bees” Following Illinois Residents Might Not Be Bees At All

Right now, Illinois seems to be bombarded with sweat bees following us everywhere we go, but these annoying, tiny, buzzing insects might not be bees at all.

The Downfalls of Summer in Illinois

If there's one thing I can count on every summer in Illinois, it's sweating the second I step outside...and immediately having a tiny buzzing insect decide I'm the most interesting person in the neighborhood.

READ MORE: IL Police Issue Corn Season Driving Warning

It doesn't matter where I go, whether it's ball games, county fairs, festivals, or just watering my garden, little yellow-and-black bugs start hovering around my face and landing on my arm and legs, and I HATE it.

For years I called every single one of them a "sweat bee."

Turns out...I was wrong.

Hoverflies vs. Sweat Bees

Like a lot of people in Illinois, I'd been lumping two completely different insects into the same category my entire life.

While both of them like to invade our personal space when it's hot and humid outside, hoverflies and sweat bees are definitely not the same thing.

For starters, one can sting you, while the other one licks you. Yes, I said lick.

If you're looking at that picture and thinking, "That still looks like a sweat bee to me", here are some more ways to tell them apart.

How to Tell Hoverflies and Sweat Bees Apart

The best way to distinguish a hoverfly from a sweat bee is by counting the wings and  remember this saying: "two wings fun four wings run."

Hoverflies have two wings instead of four and are far better fliers than sweat bees.

Here are some more ways to tell them apart according to U of I's College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences:

Hoverflies are yellow and black bee-mimics that feed on pollen, nectar and honey dew (frass of phloem feeders.) They mimic bees and or wasps for protection against predators such as birds. They are easily distinguished from bees because they are shiny and bees are fuzzy.

Canva

So the next time one of these tiny visitors starts buzzing around your head while you're trying to enjoy a backyard barbecue, don't panic. It's likely just a harmless hoverfly trying to lick the salty sweat from your body.