Have you noticed some conical dirt piles, but similar to anthills, with large openings in your yard? You could be having ground bees in your lawn! To be sure, watch any bees or insects flying into or out of the burrowed ground.
- Ground bees dig mainly in bare areas of the garden or lawn, particularly in early spring. Therefore, maybe you should consider how to get rid of ground bees that are in your yard?
Related: Easily Get Rid of Sweat Bees. Wait: Bee stings are feared because they are lethal, and they cause pain. But, do ground bees pose a danger to you, your family, or your pets?
[amazon bestseller=”Best Killers for Ground Bees” items=”2″ template=”table”]Details: How to Get Rid of Ground Bees
The easiest method to eliminate ground bees is through chemical sprays labeled “for ground bees,” such as Spectracide.
What are ground bees, and what do they look like?
Unlike other wild bees that nest above the ground, ground bees have their residence inside holes conspicuous with the pile of dirt. Colletes inaequalis is one of the most common ground bees. All ground bees belong to the order Hymenoptera.
Quick Facts:
About 70% of the 20,000 bees’ species have their nests in the ground. However, apart from the honeybees, other types of honey bees leave their nests during fall.
Pollen bees are different from other honey bees that pack waxy combs. All the known pollen bees dig ground brood chambers and feed their subterranean young on bee bread, made up of pollen cakes combined with honey and other substances.
Ground bees, unlike other bees species, lead a simple life. They have no worker slavery, overstuffed queens, and no losing individuality.
To have a clear idea of how they look, check the Ground bees pictures below:
Many bees dig underground burrows. Therefore, it is essential to know the unique identifying factors for ground bees.
For example, Bumblebees also use an underground nest, but ones that are left by rodents. Different from the operation of ground bees, bumblebees exist as social colonies.
You can quickly identify if they operate as social colonies from a distance. Keenly check if the bees approach the ground nest in multiples or singles. However, be safe when coming the nest as the bumblebees as dangerous while defending their colonies.
Further, like Bumblebees, yellow jackets live in ground nests but also unoccupied rodent holes. However, ensure to know the difference between wasps and bees since some wasps also settle in ground nests. Therefore, approach the nest with caution without assuming that it contains harmless wasps.
Caution:
Do not attempt to kill the ground bees by pouring chemicals and gasoline in the ground nest. Such actions will kill both flora and fauna settled in that area.
The female ground bees dig a chamber in dry soil and would loose soil around it. Also, she provides nectar and pollen to the nest. Further, male ground bees fly over the conical dirt piles to check for potential mates.
Beneficial insects:
Ground bees fall under the beneficial insects class that play the pollination role. Although many ground bees species are not harmful, they are considered defensive and can harm humans or pets.
There are many wild and characteristically solitary bees. The wild bees are considered very important to the pollination of both domestic and wild plants. Ground bees are one of the wild bees that act as pollinators.
Size and color of ground bees
Ground bees have colors ranging from purple, red, blue, yellow, and black. They are about one inch long.
Ground bees have their mating season between March and May. Female bees in the colony of ground bees function as worker bees. The females dig burrows in the mating season, ready to fill them with eggs and bee bread.
Life Saver!!: Check a Video on How to Spot Ground Bee Nests
Are Ground Bees Dangerous?
Male ground bees like Carpenter Bees do not have a sting! Mainly, the male ground bees are the ones that fly over the bee nest. However, male ground bees are very aggressive but will not sting.
On the contrary, female ground bees are not aggressive but can sting. Therefore, ensure that you will irritate them to cause them to initiate self-defense.
Therefore, ground bees will only sting if they are aiming to defend themselves and their colony. However, ground bee nests are as dangerous due to the chemicals that come with the bee sting.