What is an insect in the southern California area that swims and looks like a bee but smaller and stings like a red ant but is about the size of a black ant?

Answer 1

I'm from Canada, and if it looks like a bee, but thinner (more like a wasp and dark) we call them "mud wasps." These little suckers can really sting and their sting has the same effect as a fire ant. They usually borrow into mud or wet sand and can float and swim across the water. If you go to your drug store ask the pharmacist for a good ointment to use. It will work and when my husband and I go camping or out in the boat we always take a tube.