Hover Flies vs Small Bees

GENERAL DISCLAIMER: I’m by no means an insect expert. I’m just a normal guy who likes to take pictures of the fun critters who pass through the pollinator garden. So please excuse any mistakes or inaccuracies in the information provided on this site. I’m still learning as well. =]

Both small bees (sweat bees / carpenter bees) and small hover flies abound in my pollinator garden. I enjoy seeing both equally as much. At a quick glance, hover flies can be easily mistaken for bees. There are a few notable features that help me to quickly separate out the flies from bees.

The easiest difference for me is when I notice the large eyes of hover flies. Hover flies have notably larger eyes than bees. They also tend to be much brighter in overall color and aren’t covered in nearly as much pollen as your average bee. A few additional differences are noted in the infographic images below.

To see more Hover Fly photos check out my dedicated hover fly photo gallery linked below!