Bee vs. Fly — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 17, 2024
Bees are pollinators with furry bodies and stingers, mainly consuming nectar and pollen, whereas flies are more diverse, often lacking hairs and consuming a variety of substances.
Difference Between Bee and Fly
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Bees are known for their role in pollination and have a complex social structure in species like honeybees and bumblebees, whereas flies, belonging to the order Diptera, are characterized by a wide range of habitats and behaviors. Flies are generally not involved in pollination.
Bees typically have robust, hairy bodies that aid in the collection of pollen, making them efficient at pollinating plants. In contrast, flies have smoother bodies and are not primarily designed for pollination, though some, like the hoverfly, do contribute incidentally.
Bees generally produce substances beneficial to humans, such as honey and beeswax, from their interactions with plants. On the other hand, flies are often seen as pests, although some species are beneficial for activities like waste decomposition.
The lifecycle of a bee involves complete metamorphosis, starting from an egg to larva, then pupa, and finally an adult. Flies follow a similar developmental path but often have faster reproduction rates and different larval environments.
Bees are usually non-aggressive and sting only in defense or to protect their hive. Flies do not have stingers, but some can bite or transmit diseases through other means, which can be a concern for public health.
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Comparison Chart
Role
Pollinators, producers of honey and wax
Various roles, including pest and decomposer
Body Type
Furry, more robust
Generally smoother and more slender
Diet
Nectar and pollen
Varied, including organic waste and nectar
Reproduction
Slower reproduction, complex social structure
Faster reproduction, less social complexity
Interaction with Humans
Beneficial (pollination, honey)
Often negative (disease transmission, pests)
Compare with Definitions
Bee
Equipped with a stinger used for defense.
The bee stung me when I accidentally disturbed its hive.
Fly
Exhibits a wide variety of feeding habits and ecological roles.
Some flies, like the fruit fly, are important for scientific research.
Bee
A flying insect known for its role in pollination and honey production.
The bee buzzed from flower to flower collecting nectar.
Fly
Can reproduce quickly and in large numbers under favorable conditions.
Flies can lay hundreds of eggs at a time, which hatch within days.
Bee
Member of the superfamily Apoidea, critical to ecosystems for their pollinating behaviors.
Without the bee, many plants would fail to reproduce.
Fly
Includes species like houseflies, fruit flies, and horse flies, each with unique behaviors.
Horse flies are particularly aggressive and can deliver painful bites.
Bee
Producer of honey and beeswax, essential for various human uses.
Beekeepers harvest honey which the bees produce from the floral nectar.
Fly
An insect of the order Diptera, characterized by having one pair of wings.
The fly buzzed annoyingly around the room.
Bee
Social insect with complex colony structures, including roles like workers and queens.
In the hive, each bee has a specific job to support the colony.
Fly
Often associated with unsanitary conditions and known for spreading diseases.
Flies can spread bacteria from place to place on their feet and bodies.
Bee
Bees are insects with wings closely related to wasps and ants, known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea.
Fly
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- di- "two", and πτερόν pteron "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced mechanosensory organs known as halteres, which act as high-speed sensors of rotational movement and allow dipterans to perform advanced aerobatics.
Bee
Any of numerous winged, hairy-bodied, usually stinging hymenopteran insects of the superfamily Apoidea, including both solitary species and social species such as the honeybees, and characterized by sucking and chewing mouthparts for gathering nectar and pollen.
Fly
To move through the air by means of wings or winglike parts.
Bee
A gathering that combines cooperative labor and social interaction or friendly competition
A quilting bee.
Fly
To travel by air
We flew to Dallas.
Bee
A competition in which contestants are eliminated one by one after failing to answer a question or solve a problem
A spelling bee.
Fly
To operate an aircraft or spacecraft.
Bee
A bee block.
Fly
To rise in or be carried through the air by the wind
A kite flying above the playground.
Bee
The letter b.
Fly
To float or flap in the air
Pennants flying from the masthead.
Bee
A flying insect, of the clade Anthophila within the hymenopteran superfamily Apoidea, known for its organised societies (though only a minority have them), for collecting pollen and (in some species) producing wax and honey.
Fly
To move or be sent through the air with great speed
Bullets flying in every direction.
A plate that flew from my hands when I stumbled.
Bee
A contest, especially for spelling; see spelling bee.
Geography bee
Fly
To move with great speed; rush or dart
The children flew down the hall.
Bee
A community gathering to share labour, e.g. a sewing bee or a quilting bee.
Fly
To be communicated to many people
Rumors are flying about their breakup.
Bee
(obsolete) A ring or torque; a bracelet.
Fly
To flee; escape.
Bee
Any of the pieces of hard wood bolted to the sides of the bowsprit, to reeve the fore-topmast stays through.
Fly
To hasten; spring
Flew to her students' defense.
Bee
Obsolete spelling of be
Fly
To pass by swiftly
A vacation flying by.
Bee
(obsolete) be; been
Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee,
Fly
To be dissipated; vanish
All his money has flown.
Bee
An insect of the order Hymenoptera, and family Apidæ (the honeybees), or family Andrenidæ (the solitary bees.) See Honeybee.
Fly
Past tense and past participle flied (flīd) Baseball To hit a fly ball.
Bee
A neighborly gathering of people who engage in united labor for the benefit of an individual or family; as, a quilting bee; a husking bee; a raising bee.
The cellar . . . was dug by a bee in a single day.
Fly
To shatter or explode
The dropped plate flew into pieces.
Bee
Pieces of hard wood bolted to the sides of the bowsprit, to reeve the fore-topmast stays through; - called also bee blocks.
Fly
To become suddenly emotional, especially angry
The driver flew into a rage.
Bee
Any of numerous hairy-bodied insects including social and solitary species
Fly
(Informal) To gain acceptance or approval; go over
"However sophisticated the reasoning, this particular notion may not fly" (New York Times).
Bee
A social gathering to carry out some communal task or to hold competitions
Fly
To cause to fly or float in the air
Fly a kite.
Fly a flag.
Fly
(Nautical) To operate under (a particular flag)
A tanker that flies the Liberian flag.
Fly
To pilot (an aircraft or spacecraft).
Fly
To carry or transport in an aircraft or spacecraft
Fly emergency supplies to a stricken area.
Fly
To pass over or through in flight
Flew the coastal route in record time.
Fly
To perform in a spacecraft or aircraft
Flew six missions into space.
Fly
To flee or run from
Fly a place in panic.
Fly
To avoid; shun
Fly temptation.
Fly
The act of flying; flight.
Fly
The opening, or the fastening that closes this opening, on the front of a pair of pants.
Fly
The flap of cloth that covers this opening.
Fly
A piece of protective fabric secured over a tent and often extended over the entrance.
Fly
A flyleaf.
Fly
(Baseball) A fly ball.
Fly
(Sports) In swimming, butterfly.
Fly
The span of a flag from the staff to the outer edge.
Fly
The outer edge of a flag.
Fly
A flywheel.
Fly
Flies The area directly over the stage of a theater, containing overhead lights, drop curtains, and equipment for raising and lowering sets.
Fly
Chiefly British A one-horse carriage, especially one for hire.
Fly
Any of numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially any of the family Muscidae, which includes the housefly.
Fly
Any of various other flying insects, such as a caddisfly.
Fly
A fishing lure simulating something a fish eats, such as a mayfly or a minnow, made by attaching materials such as feathers, tinsel, and colored thread to a fishhook.
Fly
Chiefly British Mentally alert; sharp.
Fly
(Slang) Fashionable; stylish.
Fly
(zoology) Any insect of the order Diptera; characterized by having two wings (except for some wingless species), also called true flies.
Fly
(non-technical) Especially, any of the insects of the family Muscidae, such as the common housefly (other families of Diptera include mosquitoes and midges).
Fly
Any similar, but not closely related insect, such as a dragonfly or butterfly.
Fly
(fishing) A lightweight fishing lure resembling an insect.
Fly
(weightlifting) A chest exercise performed by moving extended arms from the sides to in front of the chest. (also flye)
Fly
(swimming) The butterfly stroke (plural is normally flys).
Fly
(obsolete) A witch's familiar.
Fly
(obsolete) A parasite.
Fly
(preceded by definite article) A simple dance in which the hands are shaken in the air, popular in the 1960s.
Fly
(finance) A butterfly (combination of four options).
Fly
(obsolete) The action of flying; flight.
Fly
An act of flying.
There was a good wind, so I decided to give the kite a fly.
Fly
(baseball) A fly ball.
Fly
(American football) fly route
Fly
A piece of canvas that covers the opening at the front of a tent.
Fly
The sloping or roof part of the canvas of a tent.
Fly
(often plural) A strip of material (sometimes hiding zippers or buttons) at the front of a pair of trousers, pants, underpants, bootees, etc.
Ha-ha! Your flies are undone!
Fly
The free edge of a flag.
Fly
The horizontal length of a flag.
Fly
(weightlifting) An exercise that involves wide opening and closing of the arms perpendicular to the shoulders.
Fly
The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.
Fly
(nautical) That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card.
Fly
Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock.
Fly
(historical) A type of small, light, fast horse-drawn carriage that can be hired for transportation (sometimes pluralised flys).
Fly
In a knitting machine, the piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch..
Fly
The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.
Fly
(weaving) A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk.
Fly
The person who took the printed sheets from the press.
Fly
A vibrating frame with fingers, attached to a power printing press for doing the same work.
Fly
One of the upper screens of a stage in a theatre.
Fly
(cotton manufacture) waste cotton
Fly
A wing.
The bullet barely grazed the wild fowl's fly.
Fly
(intransitive) To travel through the air, another gas, or a vacuum, without being in contact with a grounded surface.
Birds of passage fly to warmer regions as it gets colder in winter.
The Concorde flew from Paris to New York faster than any other passenger airplane.
It takes about eleven hours to fly from Frankfurt to Hong Kong.
The little fairy flew home on the back of her friend, the giant eagle.
Fly
To flee, to escape (from).
Fly, my lord! The enemy are upon us!
Fly
To cause to fly travel or float in the air: to transport via air or the like.
Charles Lindbergh flew his airplane The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic ocean.
Why don’t you go outside and fly kites, kids? The wind is just perfect.
Birds fly their prey to their nest to feed it to their young.
Each day the postal service flies thousands of letters around the globe.
Fly
(intransitive) To travel or proceed very fast; to hasten.
He flew down the hill on his bicycle.
It's five o'clock already. Doesn't time fly?
Fly
(intransitive) To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly.
A door flies open
A bomb flies apart
Fly
(intransitive) To proceed with great success.
His career is really flying at the moment.
One moment the company was flying high, the next it was on its knees.
Fly
To be accepted, come about or work out.
Let's see if that idea flies.
You know, I just don't think that's going to fly. Why don't you spend your time on something better?
Fly
To display (a flag) on a flagpole.
Fly
(transitive) To hunt with a hawk.
Fly
To be in the winged adult stage.
This species flies from late summer until frost.
Fly
To hit a fly ball; to hit a fly ball that is caught for an out. Compare ground (verb) and line (verb).
Jones flied to right in his last at-bat.
Fly
Quick-witted, alert, mentally sharp.
Fly
(slang) Well dressed, smart in appearance; in style, cool.
He's pretty fly.
Fly
(slang) Beautiful; displaying physical beauty.
Fly
To move in or pass through the air with wings, as a bird.
Fly
To move through the air or before the wind; esp., to pass or be driven rapidly through the air by any impulse.
Fly
To float, wave, or rise in the air, as sparks or a flag.
Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.
Fly
To move or pass swiftly; to hasten away; to circulate rapidly; as, a ship flies on the deep; a top flies around; rumor flies.
Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race.
The dark waves murmured as the ships flew on.
Fly
To run from danger; to attempt to escape; to flee; as, an enemy or a coward flies. See Note under Flee.
Fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.
Whither shall I fly to escape their hands ?
Fly
To move suddenly, or with violence; to do an act suddenly or swiftly; - usually with a qualifying word; as, a door flies open; a bomb flies apart.
Fly
To cause to fly or to float in the air, as a bird, a kite, a flag, etc.
The brave black flag I fly.
Fly
To fly or flee from; to shun; to avoid.
Sleep flies the wretch.
To fly the favors of so good a king.
Fly
To hunt with a hawk.
Fly
To manage (an aircraft) in flight; as, to fly an aëroplane.
Fly
Any winged insect; esp., one with transparent wings; as, the Spanish fly; firefly; gall fly; dragon fly.
Fly
A hook dressed in imitation of a fly, - used for fishing.
Fly
A familiar spirit; a witch's attendant.
A trifling fly, none of your great familiars.
Fly
A parasite.
Fly
A kind of light carriage for rapid transit, plying for hire and usually drawn by one horse.
Fly
The length of an extended flag from its staff; sometimes, the length from the "union" to the extreme end.
Fly
The part of a vane pointing the direction from which the wind blows.
Fly
That part of a compass on which the points are marked; the compass card.
Fly
Two or more vanes set on a revolving axis, to act as a fanner, or to equalize or impede the motion of machinery by the resistance of the air, as in the striking part of a clock.
Fly
The piece hinged to the needle, which holds the engaged loop in position while the needle is penetrating another loop; a latch.
Fly
The pair of arms revolving around the bobbin, in a spinning wheel or spinning frame, to twist the yarn.
Fly
A shuttle driven through the shed by a blow or jerk.
Fly
Formerly, the person who took the printed sheets from the press.
Fly
The outer canvas of a tent with double top, usually drawn over the ridgepole, but so extended as to touch the roof of the tent at no other place.
Fly
One of the upper screens of a stage in a theater.
Fly
The fore flap of a bootee; also, a lap on trousers, overcoats, etc., to conceal a row of buttons.
Fly
A batted ball that flies to a considerable distance, usually high in the air; also, the flight of a ball so struck; as, it was caught on the fly. Also called fly ball.
Fly
Waste cotton.
Fly
Knowing; wide awake; fully understanding another's meaning.
Fly
Two-winged insects characterized by active flight
Fly
Flap consisting of a piece of canvas that can be drawn back to provide entrance to a tent
Fly
An opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or buttons concealed by a fold of cloth
Fly
(baseball) a hit that flies up in the air
Fly
Fisherman's lure consisting of a fishhook decorated to look like an insect
Fly
Travel through the air; be airborne;
Man cannot fly
Fly
Move quickly or suddenly;
He flew about the place
Fly
Fly a plane
Fly
Transport by aeroplane;
We fly flowers from the Caribbean to North America
Fly
Cause to fly or float;
Fly a kite
Fly
Be dispersed or disseminated;
Rumors and accusations are flying
Fly
Change quickly from one emotional state to another;
Fly into a rage
Fly
Pass away rapidly;
Time flies like an arrow
Time fleeing beneath him
Fly
Travel in an airplane;
She is flying to Cincinnati tonight
Are we driving or flying?
Fly
Display in the air or cause to float;
Fly a kite
All nations fly their flags in front of the U.N.
Fly
Run away quickly;
He threw down his gun and fled
Fly
Travel over (an area of land or sea) in an aircraft;
Lindbergh was the first to fly the Atlantic
Fly
Hit a fly
Fly
Decrease rapidly and disappear;
The money vanished in las Vegas
All my stock assets have vaporized
Fly
(British informal) not to be deceived or hoodwinked
Common Curiosities
Why are bees considered beneficial to the environment?
Bees play a crucial role in pollinating flowering plants, which is essential for plant reproduction and ecosystem health.
What distinguishes a bee from a fly?
Bees are pollinators with furry bodies and specialized for nectar collection, whereas flies are more varied and often lack body hair.
What are the primary dangers associated with flies?
Flies can transmit diseases to humans through contact with food and surfaces.
What role do bees play in agriculture?
Bees are vital for the pollination of many crops, directly influencing agricultural productivity and biodiversity.
How do the lifecycles of bees and flies differ?
Both undergo complete metamorphosis, but fly lifecycles can be much shorter, allowing for rapid population growth under suitable conditions.
How can one differentiate between a bee and a fly at a glance?
Bees are generally fuzzier and more robust, while flies are smoother and more slender.
Do flies have any beneficial roles?
Yes, some flies are crucial for decomposing organic matter and recycling nutrients in ecosystems.
Can flies pollinate plants like bees?
Some flies, like hoverflies, do pollinate, but generally, flies are not as effective pollinators as bees.
Are all bees capable of producing honey?
Only certain species of bees, like honeybees, produce honey.
What impact do bees have on global biodiversity?
Bees significantly affect biodiversity through their pollination activities, which help maintain healthy ecosystems.
What types of flies are commonly found in homes?
Houseflies and fruit flies are common in domestic settings, often attracted to food waste.
What are some common misconceptions about flies?
A common misconception is that all flies are dirty and disease-carrying; some are harmless and beneficial.
What measures can be taken to protect bee populations?
Protecting habitats, reducing pesticide use, and supporting local beekeepers are effective strategies.
How can one reduce the nuisance of flies at home?
Keeping areas clean, using screens on windows, and proper waste management can help reduce fly populations.
How do bees communicate within their colonies?
Bees use dances and pheromones to communicate, particularly to inform about food sources.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
