About Ground Bees
There are many people that have no idea that ground bees even exist. Well, I can assure you that there are many different ground bees and yes, they do burrow themselves under the dirt and make their nest underground. One of the most interesting things about ground bees is the number of them around most people’s back yard who is not even aware that these bees are burrowing underground.
The ground bee is actually one of the more peaceful bees in the world and they are not aggressive at all. Commonly, you will probably not even notice these small bees, or their two-inch mound of loose soil nest, as that is all they need in order to dig under to make their nest for the queen bee. Once the queen is inside the burrow, she will make several tunnels and create all sorts of entries and exits in order to be ready for anything, the female will also create several horizontal tunnels and chambers which she will then lay one single egg at the end of each one.
Of course, the term ground bees is a very general term, as there are many different ground bees, bumble bees, and even some wasps that have been known to make their nest in the soil versus in a tree. Most ground bees are very solitary creatures and do not live in a colony for a very long time. While the males will all participate in the mating dance around the nest, as soon as the female lays her eggs, they will go off on their own usually.
In the spring time, you may begin to notice that there are far more bees coming up from the ground and the reason for that is because all ground bees hatch from the ground in the spring time and go about their business! These bees are the type that pollinates flowers and vegetables and they are definitely of the mellow kind.
If you are the type of person that is just not a fan of bees though and you do not want the infestation to continue with these particular bees, just a simple garden hose to their nest will wash them out and certainly make them move their nest somewhere else. Ground bees are calm in nature and while they will defend themselves if they feel their life is being threatened, they definitely will not sting for absolutely no reason and if you want to move their nest, they will be more than willing to. Just drown their first nest out with the hose and they will instantly move their nest somewhere else.
So as you can see, not all bees are bad and they are certainly not all scary and aggressive. There are over twenty thousand different types of bees and while the ground bee section only makes up a small portion of that twenty thousand, there is certainly something to be said about these amazing creatures that make their nest under ground and are certainly one of the most charming of the bee family
Having discovered a fondness for insects while pursuing her degree in Biology, Randi Jones was quite bugged to know that people usually dismissed these little creatures as “creepy-crawlies”.