Bee, wasp or hoverfly?

Yellow and black stripes don’t always mean “bee”. Wasps share the colours, and hoverflies copy them so well that birds leave them alone. Read each clue and decide who it describes.

Quick ways to tell them apart

• Bees are usually fuzzy and rounder. Many carry pollen on their legs or bellies.
• Wasps look smooth and shiny, with a narrow waist and often bright yellow markings.
• Hoverflies have only one pair of wings, big eyes and short antennae. They often hang still in the air.

All three are useful in the garden: bees and hoverflies pollinate flowers, and many wasps and hoverfly larvae eat pests.