There are many species of bees that nest in the soil. There are bees that buzz through a hole in the soil. It is likely that these are ground-nesting insects that live alone, and make their home in the soil. Understanding how to spot bees that build their nests on the ground are essential. Some bees that nest in the ground are not harmful, while others are territorial and could become aggressive if they get close enough.
Bees, such as honeybees (Apis mellifera) are renowned for their colonies, large nests on trees, and huge colonies. But some bees, such as bumble bees, miners bees and sweat bees prefer digging burrows into the soil to construct their home. They have distinct traits and behavior that distinguish them apart from their ground-based counterparts.
This article provides a step-by-step guide to the most prevalent species of bees which nest within the soil. Learn to recognize bees that nest in the ground and the places they usually are. It doesn’t matter if you’re a naturalist or gardener or just curious about the different kinds of bees, you’ll be able to identify these amazing flying insects.
What Are Ground-Nesting Bees? Quick Overview
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Ground-nesting bees are a species of bees that belongs to the insect group Hymenoptera. Bees dig tunnels or burrows into the ground, or discover abandoned holes left by rodents and mammals. They gather pollen and nectar for food as well as to provide their young. Ground-nesting bees may be either black and yellow, or as well as white blue green, purple or black.
Of the more than 20,000 species of bees found worldwide 70% are those that use tunnels to make nests within the earth. There are many kinds of ground-nesting bees that are stingy and aggressive, and may be stinging if you are closer to their nest. For instance, Africanized bees and bumble bees are territorial.
Although male ground-nesting bees have more aggression than female bees they’re relatively harmless. Male bees don’t have the stingers. This means that, while they could fly at you and appear to be on the attack, they will not be able to hurt you. The good news is that the majority of ground-dwelling bees are safe and do not attack.
The Most Popular Bees That Nest In The Ground
Let’s examine the most popular kinds of bees that live in the ground.
1. The Yellow-Legged Nomad Bee (Nomada Succincta)
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The nomad bee with yellow legs is a tiny bee of black and yellow which buries itself in the ground to build nests. The ground-dwelling wasp-like insect is recognized with its tear-shaped, yellow stomach, yellow legs, black bands with brownish wings. It prefers to reside in underground burrows. The yellow-legged nomad is 0.31″ to 0.40″ (8 to 10 millimeters) in length.
The Nomad Cuckoo Bees belong to the kleptoparasites. They do not collect pollen. Instead, females lay their eggs inside nests of other species of bees and take the pollen that others have collected. They then use it to nourish both their offspring and themselves. Cuckoo bees are frequently confused with wasps and flies due to their dark coloring and absence of pollen-carrying structures.
2. The Long-Horned bee (Eucera Longicornis)
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The bee with the long-horned prefers to build burrows in subterranean areas. This species of ground dwelling bee is distinguished by its antennae that are long, hence the name long-horned bee. Medium-sized bees measure around 0.51″ (13 millimeters) long. They are robust and have a fuzzy yellow-orange body, with black and yellow markings, and clear wings.
Long-horned bees are single, gentle insects that build earthen nests that are built in soils made of clay. But, they are most more active when they are in the coastal ecosystems as well as grassy woodlands. They aren’t aggressive and only sting when they are feeling threatened. They use their long antennae for detecting smells and find flowers to feed on nectar as well as collecting pollen.
3. Mason Bee (Osmia)
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Many mason bees are metal bodies that are blue and green (left image). Certain mason bees, like those with red bees (Osmia bicornis) may be found with black or maroon hues (right image)
Mason bees are small sole bees, which often make use of cavities to dig into the ground to nest. Bees of the Osmia Genus usually have dark metallic blue, black or green hues. One species has a rust-red color. The bees are characterized by a tall solid body and brownish hair tufts and an antenna that is long and black.
In contrast to honeybees, mason bees are not able to produce honey, and they are not hostile. They are excellent pollinators of flowers, fruit trees and many other plants because of their unique method of transporting pollen.
Mason bees usually measure 0.37″ to 0.62″ (9.5 to 15 millimeters). They are ground-dwelling and docile bees whose name comes because they use clay or mud to build their nests inside tiny crevices or holes, like hollow reeds, or even wood. They usually build nests on the ground for their offspring.
4. Leaf Cutting Bees (Megachilidae)
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Leaf-cutting bees typically build colonies in the soil decaying wood, or plant stems. They can be identified by their vivid colors, banded abdomens and their long faces. They are typically 0.20″ to 0.94″ (5 – 24 millimeters) of length. They are superb pollinators thanks to transferring pollen onto their hairy undersides on their stomachs.
Cavity nesting leafcutter insects have the unique ability of cutting leaves in circular shapes to create in the ground or on top of surfaces nests.
5. Africanized Bee (Apis Mellifera, Scutellata Lepeletier)
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A Africanized bee is among the most aggressive species of bee that live in the earth. Sometimes referred to as”the “killer bee,” the bee’s fierce nature is evident in its golden-brown body adorned with black stripes and encased in fine hairs. Their size, color and behavior make it difficult to distinguish from honey bees.
African honey bees range from 0.40″ to 0.60″ (10 to 15 millimeters) in length. They have clearly defined abdominal stripes that are usually dark brown, black or yellow. Because they look like honey bees and yellow jackets it can only be done by watching their behavior.
One aspect one of Africanized honeybees is that they have an fierce more powerful defensive reaction over honeybees. They are known to defend their nests by encircling thousands of honey bees. They also gather more than Western bees and can sting several times when they feel threatened. They can kill large mammals, like humans, because of the number of bee stings.
6. Bumble Bee (Bombus)
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Bumble bees are one of the most widely recognized species of bees, which burrow into the soil. There are more than 250 kinds of bumblebees, most commonly recognized for their huge fuzzy bodies, with yellow and black stripes. They have large bodies with a round abdomen tips, making them easy to distinguish from honey bees.
The most Bumble Bee within North America is the Bombus pennsylvanicus. The American Bumble Bee measures 0.55″ to 0.71″ (14 to 18 millimeters) in length. Workers are usually furry black creatures that have yellow marks on their backs and bodies. All species of bumble bees are significant pollinators.
Although they are not regarded as being aggressive, they can be stinging and attacking if they are feeling threatened. Contrary to honey bees, female bees may sting many times since they possess soft stingers. When left alone they are peaceful flying insects.
The sting of their stings could be a bit painful which is why it is recommended to watch their movements from an in-depth distance and stay clear of disrupting their nests.
7. Sweat Bees (Halictid Bees) (Halictidae)
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Different kinds of sweat bees are different in appearance, some with metallic bodies that are green.
Sweat bees of the family of Halictidae comprise the majority of widespread ground-dwelling species of bees. They are non-aggressive Halictid bees have different appearances. They are characterized by their slim bodies. typically dark brown or black and metallic purple, green or blue hues. Certain species are distinguished by distinctive bands of yellow and black around their stomachs.
The great banded-furrow bee (Halictus Scabiosae) is an insect that sweats, with colors of yellow and black
The majority of halictid sweat bees build their nests underground. They usually build a cluster of underground cells that create eggs, and then raise children. They don’t show aggression and are essential pollinators, you should attract sweat bees to your garden by planting bee-friendly flowers and shrubs.
One of the characteristics for sweat bees that they are attracted to sweat. They utilize sweat to replenish water and salts. But, they mainly consume pollen and nectar, and are important pollinators.
8. Orchid Bees (Euglossini)
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Orchid bees are a family of bees with vibrant colors that construct nests in soil. They are easily identified by their vivid metallic colors that range between blue and green, as well as gold and purple. Other distinctive features include their antennae that are short and segmented as well as their transparent wings and small patches of setae (hairs).
Males from this species appear brighter colored than females and they utilize their colours to attract their partners. Orchid bees play a significant role in pollinating orchids as they transfer and collect pollen as they hunt to find nectar. They are usually thought of as an indicator of the health of tropical forests since they depend on a wide variety of flowers to ensure their survival.
A very popular orchard bees that live in the ground is the orchid solitary (Euglossa issue). The bee’s solitary size is 0.51″ (13 millimeters) in length and features an emerald green body. Despite female bees that nest in the ground having stingers, they’re rather docile and seldom will sting.
9. Stingless Bees (Meliponini)
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Stingless bees are small dark-colored bees who prefer to live in caves, hollow trees, nests of termites or in holes in the branches of trees. They are also called stingless honey bees or meliponines. The bees, males and females–do not have stingers. They usually measure 0.2″ to 0.4″ (5 to 10 millimeters) by length.
Stingless bees can be located in subtropical and tropical zones in North America. Their distinctive behavior is that they attack and then spray acids as a way of defense. They live in colonies that include queen and worker bees.
Stingless bees also make honey in tropical areas. But their production of honey is lower than that of honey bees. But their honey does have distinct taste and medicinal properties.
10. Ptilothrix
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Ptilothrix is one of the genus that includes ground-nesting, solitary bees that are similar to bumblebees. Bees belonging to the Genus Ptilothrix are widespread all over North America. The bees with hairy brown skin vary in size between 0.28″ to 0.60″ (7 to 14 millimeters).
11. Stenotritidae
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Ground-dwelling bees belonging to the family of Stenotritidae are big, hairy bees with fast-flying wings that create burrows in the earth to nest. Tunneling bees sport black, yellow and white-banded abdomens. large brown compound eyes and a thorax covered with grayish setae. They are native to Australia and range from 0.47″ to 0.60″ (12 to 15 millimeters) in length.
12. Miner Bee (Andrena)
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The majority of miner bees live underground, and are solitary insects which prefer sandy soil. There are more than 1500 types of miner bees. The majority of them measuring in the range of 0.3″ to 0.67″ (8 – 17 mm) in length. The most common distinguishing characteristics are their slim black bodies, covered with white or tan hairs.
One characteristic of ground-dwelling bees is the way they collect pollen. Like all bees they carry pollen on their legs. But, some miner bees also carry pollen baskets that are attached to their chests. One distinctive characteristic of the bees known as miner bees is their smooth area that lies between their eyes.
13. Calliopsis Mining Bees (Calliopsis)
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All bee species in the family Calliopsis are singular bees, which nest within the soil. Mining bees can be identified by their black and yellow stripes, broad heads with dark wings. They are non-aggressive and have small wings when compared with other species of bees. Females are ground-nesting solitary bees.
Calliopsis mining bees count among the top prevalent bees found in Eastern North America. As an example the eastern miner (Calliopsis andreniformis) is a tiny black ground-dwelling bumblebee that lives in tiny sand burrows. It’s 0.27″ (7 millimeters) long, and has thin yellowish-tan stripes along its abdomen, as well as big compound eyes.
14. Alkali Bee (Nomia Melanderi)
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The alkali bee is a tiny dark bee which builds its nest on the ground. The most distinctive characteristics of this single bee are the distinctive greyish to white bands that line its abdomen, with an ethereal shine. The ground-dwelling bee measures around two-thirds of the size of a honeybee.
Alkali Bees are indigenous to the western part of North America and is commonly located in arid habitats. Though they are solitary, they build underground nests with high density. Female bees construct an underground tunnel and separate cells inside the burrow. They deposit up to two eggs per day.
Alkali bees can be found in the summer and spring. They can be distinguished by their tiny size, black color and their metallic appearance.
15. Sweat Bees (Dialictus)
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Sweat bees of the Genus Lasioglossum are tiny metallic-colored, non-aggressive insects that are widespread across North America. The tiny bees are generally dark green, black or blue in their color. Certain species might have bands of white or yellow around their body. Sweat bees are tiny, measuring around 0.11″ to 0.31″ (3 to 8 mm) in length.
Sweat bees are not generally aggressive, and they rarely will sting unless they are directly threatened. Female sweat bees are solitary and make burrows in the soil to build nests, and also take care of their young. Certain varieties are Lasioglossum sweat bees live as social and reside within small groups.
16. Cuckoo Bumble Bees (Psithyrus)
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Cuckoo bumble bees are group of tall fuzzy bees living in underground tunnels. They look similar to regular Bumble Bees. They don’t gather pollen or create a worker casting because they take nests and food supplies of other Bumble bees.
For instance, the indistinct cuckoo Bumblebee (Bombus insularis) appears like a typical Bumble Bee. It is distinguished through its dark body, hairs that are yellow and black legs with hairy hairs. The native parasitic bee is 0.62″ to 0.74″ (16 to 19 mm) in length.
In contrast to other bumble bees cuckoo bees don’t make nests or gather food. Instead, they infiltrate those nests that belong to other species of bumble bees and lay their eggs in the nests. They tend to be larger and sport more vibrant colors than the bumblebees they are parasitizing.
17. Digger Bees (Anthophorini)
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Digger bees comprise a family of bees that are solitary and who are renowned for digging nests in the soil. The majority of bees belonging to the tribe of Anthophorini are huge bees that are dark brown or black with soft grayish-white hairs. Certain bees sport banded abdomens with metallic blue hues.
Digger bees sport stout bodies that measure 1.18″ (30 millimeters) in length on average. It is easy to spot digger bees in action by digging holes that measure 0.5″ (13 millimeters) and surrounded by mounds soil on plain lawns. There’s typically lots of activity close to the holes during the summer.
18. Plaster Bees (Colletes)
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Plaster bees are a kind of single bee which constructs its homes in the underground burrows. They are usually medium-sized, with black or dark brown body with clearly defined bands of white or yellow hairs on the abdomens. They vary in size, from a few millimeters to what the dimensions of bumblebee.
Their distinctive feature is that they line nest walls in underground areas with a secretion as a plasterer would, creating a cellophane-like line.
The most well-known type of plaster bee. Colletes inaequalis – is a tan and black-colored bee that has the black abdomen and stripes of tan. The ground nesting bees can be distinguished by their fuzzy tan-colored heads and wings that are translucent with a heart-shaped face, big compound eyes, and two antennae with segments. Plaster bees are typically 0.5″ (13 millimeters) in length and are active between March and July.
Conclusion
And there you have it—our exploration into the world of ground-nesting bees, a reminder that nature’s wonders often lie beneath the surface. These bees, with their quiet yet essential role in our ecosystem, showcase the marvels of adaptation and coexistence.
So, as you walk on paths or tend to your garden, spare a thought for these underground architects. Their subtle presence enriches our surroundings in ways we might not always see but profoundly feel. Here’s to the bees, buzzing away beneath our feet, a testament to the intricate beauty of our natural world. Happy exploring!
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