Many species of bees nest in the ground . You may remark bees buzzing around a hole in the soil . The chance are that these species are reason - nesting bees that live solitary spirit , making their home in the ground . Knowing how to distinguish bees that nest in the ground is vital . Some undercoat - snuggle bee are harmless , whereas others are territorial and can become aggressive if you get too close .
Bees , like honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) , are known for living in hive , large nests on trees , and large colony . However , some bee , like bumble bee , miner bees , and sweat bee , prefer to dig burrow in the soil to produce their homes . These bee have unique characteristics and behaviors that place them apart from their above - ground vis-a-vis .
This clause is a guide to the mostcommon type of beesthat nest in the dry land . You will learn how to describe background - nesting bees and where they are ordinarily found . Whether you ’re a nature enthusiast , a nurseryman , or just curious about the different type of bee , you will larn to recognize these incredible flying insects .
What Are Ground-Nesting Bees?
soil - nesting bees — like all bee species — belong to the insect orderHymenoptera . The bee dig tunnels or tunnel in the dry land or rule abandon holes of lowly mammals and rodents . The bee forgather nectar and pollen for food and to feed their untested . solid ground - nestingbees can be dim and lily-livered , black and white-hot , metallic , blue , green , or purple .
Of the 20,000 species of bees worldwide , around 70 percent are bees that burrow tunnels to cuddle in the earth . Many types of ground - nesting bee are aggressive and will burn if you get too close to the nest . For instance , Africanized bees and bumble bees get territorial .
Even though male land - nesting bees are more aggressive than females , they are harmless . Male bee miss cut . So , even though they may vaporize toward you and come along on the attack , they can not sting you . The dear news is that most earth - dwelling bees are harmless and not aggressive .
Types of Bees That Nest in the Ground: with Pictures and Descriptions
Let ’s look in item at the most common types of bees that draw close underground .
Africanized Bee (Apis mellifera scutellataLepeletier)
The Africanized bee is one of the most aggressive bee species that lives in the earth . Also call the “ killer bee , ” the feisty bee is key by its golden - brownish body with black stripes and cover in ok hair’s-breadth . Their size , coloration , and behaviour make them difficult to tell apart from dear bee .
African honey bees spring up 0.40 ” to 0.60 ” ( 10 – 15 mm ) long . They have well - defined abdominal stripes , typically black or dour brown and yellow . Because they resembleyellow jacketsand honey bees , discern the species is only potential by observing their behavior .
A characteristic of Africanized bees is their fast-growing , stronger justificative response than love bee . They tend to defend their nests with hundreds of bee . They also swarm more than Western bees and sting multiple times when menace . They are capable of killing large mammal , admit humans , due to the high number of sting .
Bumble Bee (Bombus)
An American bumble bee ( Bombus pensylvanicus )
Bumble bee are the most easily recognized types of bees that tunnel in the ground . There are over 250 species of bumble bees , mostly known for their large , bleary trunk with black and yellow stripes . The plump bee have portly bodies and a rounded abdomen baksheesh , make them easy to tell aside from honey bees .
The largest type of bumble bee in North America is theBombus pensylvanicus . The American bumble bee measures 0.55 ” to 0.71 ” ( 14 – 18 mm ) long . The workerbees are typically mordant , furred creature with yellow markings on their backs and body . All bumble bee species are of import pollinators .
Although not regarded as aggressive , they may snipe and sting if they feel threatened . Unlike dear bees , the female bees can twinge multiple time because they have smooth stinger . However , when left alone , bumble bees are relatively docile flying insects .
Their sting can be painful , so it is best to observe them from a aloofness and avoid trouble their nests .
Sweat Bees (Halictid Bees) (Halictidae)
Different species of swither bee variegate in appearance , with some having green metallic organic structure
swither bee in the orderHalictidaeare the most common ground - dwelling bees . These non - aggressiveHalictidbees diverge in appearance . However , most are identified by their slender bodies , usually black or dark brown and metallic William Green , royal , or dismal color . Some metal money have characteristic black and yellow isthmus on their abdomens .
The dandy banded furrow bee ( Halictus scabiosae ) is a sweat bee with black-market and yellow color
Most halictid effort bees nest underground . They typically build up a collection of underground cells to lay eggs and lift their young . Because they do n’t demo fast-growing behaviour and are of import pollinators , it ’s beneficial to encourage swither bee to your yard by plantingbee - friendly flowering bush and wildflower .
A feature of elbow grease bees is their attraction to perspiration . They use sweat for moisture and common salt . However , they mostly wipe out ambrosia and pollen and are critical pollinators .
Sweat Bees (Dialictus)
Lasioglossum subgenus dialictus
Sweat bee in the genusLasioglossumare modest , metal - colour , non - aggressive bees common throughout North America . The small bee are typically ignominious , metal common , or blue in colour . Some coinage may have bands of yellow or blanched on their body . Sweat bee are relatively small , measuring about 0.11 ” to 0.31 ” ( 3 – 8 mm ) long .
travail bee are generally not aggressive and rarely sting unless instantly evoke or threatened . The solitary female sudor bees create burrows in the ground to progress nest and care for their youthful . Some species ofLasioglossumsweat bees are social creatures and live in small colony .
Miner Bee (Andrena)
Ashy minelaying bee ( Andrena cineraria ) nest
Most miner bee nest underground and are lonely louse that favor arenaceous soil . There are over 1,500 species of mineworker bee , most of which measure between 3.1 ” to 0.67 ” ( 8 – 17 mm ) long . General identifying features are their slight black body covered in white to tan hairs .
A characteristic of ground - habitation mineworker bee is their pollen collection . Like most bee , they carry pollen on their hairy leg . However , many mineworker bees also have pollen baskets on their thorax . A unparalleled identifying feature of speech of miner bees is the velvety region between their chemical compound eyes .
Calliopsis Mining Bees (Calliopsis)
The eastern miner bee ( Calliopsis andreniformis )
All types of bees in the genusCalliopsisare solitary bee that nest in the ground . The minelaying bee are identified by their yellow and fateful stripe , broad heads , and dark wings . These non - strong-growing bees have narrow wings compared to other bee metal money . The females are solitary ground - nesting bee .
Coreopsis tinctoria minelaying bees are among the most vernacular bee in Eastern North America . For example , the eastern miner bee ( Calliopsis andreniformis ) is a low disastrous land - dwelling bee that live in small flaxen burrow . It measures 0.27 ” ( 7 mm ) long and has sparse yellowish - tan stripes on its stomach and large colonial eyes .
Cuckoo Bumble Bees (Psithyrus)
A cuckoo bumblebee Bombus insularis
Cuckoo bumble bee are a radical of hardy , fuzzy bees that go in hole-and-corner burrow and calculate like regular bumble bee . They do n’t collect pollen or produce a worker caste because they steal the food for thought and nests of other bumble bee .
For example , the indiscriminate cuckoo bumblebee ( Bombusinsularis ) looks like a common bumble bee . It ’s identified by its dim body with band of lily-livered hairs and hairy black peg . This native parasitical bee measures 0.62 ” to 0.74 ” ( 16 – 19 mm ) long .
Unlike other bumble bees , cuckoo bumble bee do not progress nests or garner food . Instead , they encroach upon the nests of other bumble bee species and lay their nut there . They are typically larger and have more vibrant colors than the bumble bees they parasitize .
Yellow-Legged Nomad Bee (Nomada succincta)
The yellow - legged nomad bee is a small black and yellow bee that buries in the ground to produce a nest . The ground - lie in white Anglo-Saxon Protestant - like bee is identified by its snag - shaped jaundiced belly with black bands , yellow leg , and brownish wing . Preferring to live in underground burrows , the yellow - legged nomad bee measures 0.31 ” to 0.40 ” ( 8 – 10 mm ) long .
Nomad goofball bee are classified as kleptoparasites and do n’t accumulate pollen . or else , the females lay their egg in the nests of other bee species and slip the pollen other bees have collected . They utilise this to feed themselves and their materialisation . Cuckoo bee are often misguided for white Anglo-Saxon Protestant or fly sheet due to their blue color and lack of pollen - impart structures .
Long-Horned Bee (Eucera longicornis)
The long - tusk bee prefers to nuzzle in subterranean burrow . This undercoat - dwelling bee coinage is identify by its extraordinary long feeler — hence its name , long - horned bee . These medium - sized bees measure about 0.51 ” ( 13 mm ) long . They have a robust , fuzzy yellowish - orange organic structure with opprobrious and yellow grading and transparent wings .
Long - tusk bee are solitary , gentle insect and create ground nests in clay land . However , the bees tend to be active in coastal habitat and grassy woodlands . They are non - belligerent bee and will only sting when they palpate threatened . These bees use their long antennae to notice smell and locate flowers for feeding on nectar and collecting pollen .
Digger Bees (Anthophorini)
A power shovel bee ( Anthophora plumipes )
Digger bees are a group of lonely bee bang for digging nest in the earth . Most bee in the tribeAnthophoriniare large black or dark brown bees get over in soft grey - blank hairs . Some bees have banded abdominal cavity with metal gloomy colors .
Digger bees have stout bodies measure 1.18 ” ( 30 mm ) long on modal . you may notice excavator bee natural action by holes assess 0.5 ” ( 13 mm ) surrounded by mounds of soil on unembellished spot of lawns . There is usually a raft of bee activity near the holes in summer .
Orchid Bees (Euglossini)
The fleeceable orchid bee ( Euglossa quandary )
orchidaceous plant bees are a group of colorful bees that build up nest in the grime . The easily identifiable bee have vibrant metallic color , ranging from gullible and blue to purple and Au . Other identifiable feature of speech are their short , section antennae , pellucid annexe , and patches of fine gray setae ( hairs ) .
The Male of this species are more bright colored than the females , and they expend their colours to attract mates . Orchid bees are important inpollinating orchids , as they collect and channel pollen while forage for ambrosia . These bees are often regard indicant of the wellness oftropical forests , as they rely on a diverse kitchen stove of blossom for their survival .
One of the most common solid ground - dwell orchard bees is the greenish orchid bee ( Euglossa dilemma ) . This nongregarious bee measure 0.51 ” ( 13 mm ) long and has a metallic green body . Despite the female ground - nest bee have stinger , they are fairly timid and rarely sting .
Stingless Bees (Meliponini)
A Meliponula ferruginea stingless bee
Stingless bee are diminished , dark - colored bees that prefer living in secret cavity , vacuous tree trunk , termite nest , or holes in tree offshoot . Also known as stingless honey bee or meliponines , the bees — males and females — lack a stinger . They typically assess 0.2 ” to 0.4 ” ( 5 to 10 mm ) in length .
Stingless bee are typically happen in tropic and subtropic region of North America . Their unequalled deportment means they bite and spray formic acid as a defense mechanism . They are societal insect living in dependency with queen and actor bee .
Stingless bees also produce honey in tropical regions . However , their love production is much low compared to dearest bees . But their honey has a unique flavor and medicinal property .
Plaster Bees (Colletes)
A plasterer bee ( Colletes inaequalis )
adhesive plaster bee are a eccentric of solitary bee that make its nest in clandestine burrow . These grime - draw close bees are typically medium - sized with a black or sinister brown eubstance with well - delimitate band of xanthous or white haircloth on their abdomens . They array in size — from a few millimeter long to about the sizing of a bumble bee .
Their unique characteristic is how they delineate underground nest wall with a secretion , just like a plasterer , to create a cellophane - similar lining .
The most vernacular mintage of adhesive plaster bee — Colletes inaequalis — is a black and tan - discolor bee with a contraband stomach and tan stripes . These ground nesting bees can be identify by their fuzzy tan - colour head , pair of translucent wing , heart - shaped face , gravid chemical compound eyes , and two segment antennae . Plaster bees typically valuate 0.5 ” ( 13 mm ) long and are active between March and July .
A ground bee nest
Alkali Bee (Nomia melanderi)
The alkali bee is a small morose bee that work up its nest in the ground . identify feature of speech of the sole bee are its distinctive white to greyish ring on its abdomen , with a metallic sheen . The ground - dwelling bee is about two - thirds the sizing of a honey bee .
The alkali bee is native to western North America and is commonly found in waterless habitats . Although lonesome , they create underground nest in high densities . The distaff bee create a burrow and separate cell in the burrow to deposit one to two eggs day by day .
Alkali bees are active during the springiness and summer . They can be identify by their low size of it , opprobrious color , and metal visual aspect .
Ptilothrix
The hibiscus bee / eastern digger bee ( Ptilothrix bombiformis )
Ptilothrixis a genus of nongregarious , ground - nest bees that resemble bumble bee . Bees in the genusPtilothrixare common throughout North America . The hairy brown bee can range in size from 0.28 ” to 0.60 ” ( 7 – 15 millimeter ) .
Stenotritidae
Stenotritus pubescens
Ground - dwelling bees in the familyStenotritidaeare with child , hirsute , tight - flying bee that make burrows in the ground for nesting . The tunneling bee have yellow , black , and white-hot - ring belly , large dark-brown chemical compound eye , and a thorax cover in grayish seta . The bees are native to Australia and measure 0.47 ” to 0.60 ” ( 12 – 15 mm ) long .
Mason Bee (Osmia)
Many mason bees have metallic gloomy - dark-green consistence ( left picture ) . Some Freemason bees such as the red mason bee ( Osmia bicornis ) can have black or maroon color ( right picture )
Mason bees are small , solitary bees that ofttimes use caries to burrow in the undercoat for nesting . Bees in theOsmiagenus are typically black or dark metallic risque or unripe colors . One species is a rust fungus - crimson color . The bees have a stocky , robust consistency shape , tussock of chocolate-brown hair , and long contraband antennae .
Unlike Apis mellifera , mason bee do not get dearest and are not aggressive . They are fantabulous pollinator for fruit trees , flush , and other flora due to the alone way they channel pollen .
Mason bees typically measure 0.37 ” to 0.62 ” ( 9.5 – 15 mm ) . They are terra firma - dwelling , gentle bees who get their name from their riding habit of using clay or clay to construct their nests in small hole or crack , such as in vacuous reeds or Sir Henry Wood . They often produce nests in the ground for their materialisation .
Leaf Cutting Bees (Megachilidae)
Leaf - cutting bee often fabricate nest in grime , rotting Natalie Wood , and plant stem . The medium - sized solitary bee are identified by their vivacious colours , banded abdomens , and long look . They typically quantify 0.20 ” to 0.94 ” ( 5 – 24 mm ) in distance . They are excellent pollinators by channelise pollen on the haired underside of their abdomens .
pit nesting leafcutter bee have a unequalled conduct of cutting circular pieces of leave to construct overground or surface nest .
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