Is it a bee? Maybe not.

Have you seen tiny bees frequenting the flowers in your yard? Look closely; those may not be bees. Syrphid flies, also called flower flies or hover flies, can trick the innocent onlooker into thinking that they are bees or wasps. So how can you tell what you really have? Bees and wasps will have two pair of wings while flies have only one pair of wings.

Adult syrphid flies feed on nectar and pollen while the larvae (or immatures) can feed on a wide variety of items depending on species. Some larvae eat decaying plant and animal matter while others feed on insects such as aphids, thrips or mealybugs.