North Carolina has more than 500 native bee species. While this may give some people the willies, wild bees are generally harmless. They greatly benefit ecosystems, biodiversity and agriculture.
As a resident of North Carolina you’ve likely noticed small mounds of dirt appearing in your lawn or garden. These are often caused by ground bees, a group of mostly solitary bee species that create underground burrows. With over 20000 species of bees in North America, identifying and managing ground bees can be confusing. This article provides an overview of common ground bees found in North Carolina, the damage they cause, and how to control them on your property.
What are Ground Bees?
Ground bees encompass a diverse group of bee species that nest in the soil. Unlike social bees like honey bees that live in large colonies most ground bees are solitary. Some of the most common ground bee families in North Carolina include
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Mining bees – Andrenidae family. Small fuzzy bees around 0.5 inches long.
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Leafcutter bees – Megachilidae family. Carry pollen on abdomen hairs.
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Mason bees – Osmia genus. Use mud in nest construction.
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Sweat bees – Halictidae family. Metallic green or black. Tiny stingers.
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Carpenter bees – Xylocopa genus. Large bees that nest in wood.
Frequency: Mining bees – 5, Leafcutter bees – 3, Mason bees – 2, Sweat bees – 2, Carpenter bees – 1
Unlike social wasps and bees, ground bees rarely sting unless their nest is disturbed. Their presence is generally harmless.
Identifying Ground Bee Damage
The main sign of ground bees is small holes littering your lawn or garden soil. These are nest entrances where female bees have excavated burrows 4-8 inches deep to create brood cells.
You may also notice:
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Dirt mounds around holes from excavated soil
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Increased bee activity in spring when new queens emerge
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Dead grass or dried vegetation from intensive tunneling
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Hole clusters under rocks, planting pots, or decaying wood
Frequency: Dirt mounds – 3, Increased spring activity – 2, Dead grass – 2, Hole clusters – 1
Managing Ground Bees
For most homeowners, ground bees do not need to be controlled. Their pollination services outweigh minor lawn damage. However, some management options include:
Discourage nesting:
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Maintain dense, well-watered turf or vegetation. Bees prefer bare ground.
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Fill in holes and tamp down excavated mounds.
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Place wood chips or gravel as mulch over bare areas.
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Discourage wood-nesters by sealing cracks and holes.
Relocate nests:
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Carefully dig up and transfer nests to a new site when bees are inactive at night.
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This is best done in fall before new queens overwinter in burrows.
Insecticides:
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Dust insecticides like Sevin or Tempo can be applied to nest entrances.
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Liquid sprays are less effective and may impact pollinators.
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Only use chemicals as a last resort if bees pose a stinging threat.
Frequency: Maintain vegetation – 2, Fill holes – 2, Mulch bare areas – 1, Discourage wood nesting – 1, Relocate nests – 2, Insecticides – 2
Key Ground Bee Species in North Carolina
Here are some of the most common ground-nesting bees seen in North Carolina:
Mining Bees
Andrenid bees create single, deep tunnels with side chambers for brood cells. Common species include:
- Black andromeda mining bee
- Early mining bee
- Acacia mining bee
Frequencey: Andrenid bees – 2, Black andromeda – 1, Early mining – 1, Acacia mining – 1
Leafcutter Bees
Megachilid bees line brood cells with circular leaf pieces. Look for:
- Alfalfa leafcutter bee
- Orchard leafcutter bee
- Giant resin bee
Frequency: Megachilid bees – 2, Alfalfa leafcutter – 1, Orchard leafcutter – 1, Giant resin bee – 1
Mason Bees
Osmia bees build nests from mud or plant materials. Examples:
- Blue orchard bee
- Hornfaced mason bee
Frequency: Osmia bees – 2, Blue orchard bee – 1, Hornfaced mason – 1
Sweat Bees
Halictid bees make shallow burrows close together. Watch for:
- Dufourea sweat bee
- Augochlorini sweat bee
- Lasioglossum sweat bee
Frequency: Halictid bees – 2, Dufourea – 1, Augochlorini – 1, Lasioglossum – 1
Protecting Pollinators
Ground bees are important native pollinators in North Carolina. Their habitat loss can negatively impact gardens and agriculture. You can support these valuable insects by:
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Providing undisturbed areas with exposed soil
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Planting pollinator-friendly plants and flowers
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Leaving fallen leaves and vegetation as nesting sites
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Avoiding pesticide use which can be toxic to bees
With a better understanding of ground bee identification and habits, you can appreciate the role they play in North Carolina’s ecosystems. Their presence in your yard is a sign of a healthy environment!
Best plants and flowers for attracting bees
You can watch native bees at work in a pollinator garden full of native plants and flowers, both perennial and annual. This is the best way to learn about them. Plants in the Asteraceae family, such as asters, goldenrods and coneflowers support the widest variety of native bees. To keep you and the bees safe, it’s best to put these beds in places that don’t get a lot of foot traffic. Our educational resource library offers helpful videos, including:
It’s important to remember that many bees use stems, leaves, and soil to build their nests as well as food. Avoiding chemical pesticides and herbicides can improve the overall health and success of bee populations. Adults may only touch contaminated materials for a short time, but their babies could be hugging them for months.
If attracting bees to your yard still worries you, think again. It is much less likely for North Carolina’s native bees to sting because more than half of them nest alone. Most of the time, bees act aggressively as a last resort to protect their hives or their own lives.
Bees ensure that our gardens grow well and provide food for animals that need flowering plants or insects and larvae to live. While non-native honey bees are great pollinators, bumblebees and other native bees are our most important pollinators.
Many native bees are nesting from March to May in North Carolina. Nest habitat varies depending on the species. Most bees will either make their own nests, use holes that are already there, or lay their eggs in the nests of other bees. Bees that nest on the ground include mining bees, bees that nest in the pithy inside of stems, leaf-cutting bees that line their nests with pieces of plant material, and many more.
Native bees and most other animals do better in natural areas that aren’t landscaped and in gardens that aren’t kept up. This is because dead stems and other materials provide them with important nesting materials and habitat. If you leave open ground or old stems in your garden, native bees can use them as nesting sites. This will also bring other pollinators to your area.
If you can’t do natural landscaping, you could choose an artificial nesting site like a bee hotel or move cut-back stems to make extra habitat.
You can buy these or build them by drilling various size holes into untreated wood. In general, bigger is not better for bee hotels. Smaller units dispersed around the yard can reduce predation and disease, and will likely attract more bees. You could also reuse hollow stems by stacking them in a quiet corner or weaving them into a “wattle fence” that breaks down naturally over time. Bee hotels need some regular upkeep that more natural options don’t, like having the nesting holes cleaned out every so often and being replaced after a few years of use.
Most native bees eat a wide range of plants, but North Carolina has a few species that are very specific about the plants they need to live. You can make the biggest difference by adding native plants from the aster (asteraceae), blueberry (ericaceae), willow (salicaceae), or nightshade (solanaceae) families. These include blueberries, asters, goldenrod, sunflowers, and willows.
what is the difference between yellow jackets, “ground bees” and ground nesting bees?
FAQ
What kind of bees nest in the ground in North Carolina?
What kind of bees nest in the ground?
How do I get rid of ground bees in the ground?
Do ground bees bite or sting you?
When do bees nest in North Carolina?
Many native bees are nesting from March to May in North Carolina. Nest habitat varies depending on the species. The majority of bees will either build their own nests, utilize pre-existing cavities or lay their eggs in the nests of other bees.
How many long horned bees are there in North Carolina?
There are up to 30 species of Long-Horned Bees in North Carolina! This bee group nests in holes dug by females, typically under shrubbery. The nests are branched, with tiny “rooms” at the end of each branch where a single bee will overwinter. Long-horned bees are solitary for much of their life.
What is a small carpenter bee in North Carolina?
Small Carpenter Bees are unlike any other type of bee in North Carolina! Small Carpenter Bees are black with a green or blue cast and prefer to nest in hollowed-out stems of plants like raspberry or sumac bushes. These species are even more unusual than their larger relatives!
Are bees dangerous in North Carolina?
North Carolina has more than 500 native bee species. While this may give some people the willies, wild bees are generally harmless. They greatly benefit ecosystems, biodiversity and agriculture.
Do bees sting in North Carolina?
More than half of North Carolina’s native bees are solitary nesters, which makes them far less likely to sting. If bees display aggressive behavior it is often a last resort defense to protect their hives or their lives.
Are ground nesting bees solitary?
These include a species of solitary bees known as ground-nesting bees. Here’s the buzz. About ninety percent of bees native to our state are solitary bees. They are categorized as solitary because a single female lays an egg in a single larval cell unlike social bees, such as honey bees, that thrive in colonies.