More than 77 different types of bees live underground and help keep the world’s ecosystem running.
This full guide to ground nesting bees tells you where they live, how they live, and which ones can be dangerous.
According to ground-nesting bee identification charts and other sources, there are currently 20,000 species of bees living in almost every part of the world except the arctic.
There are 250 times as many bees as people, if you count the 100 million bees that live in commercial beehives and the estimated 80 million bee colonies around the world.
With 8 billion people, that means there are easily over 2 trillion bees in the world, and the number is growing.
Even though there is only one queen bee in a hive, she can lay enough eggs for about 200,000 bees a year just in that one hive.
Because all bee species are monophyletic, which means they share a common ancestor, she mates with a number of different genetic males to make the colony more diverse. This is how it has always been done. This method encourages resistance to diseases, and over time 7 families have evolved to become the dominant strains.
Bees are essential pollinators that come in all shapes and sizes. While honey bees and bumblebees are the most well-known species, over 70% of bees actually nest underground These ground-dwelling bees play a vital role in pollinating plants and crops. Let’s explore some of the most common types of ground bees and admire their beauty through stunning photographs.
Varieties of Ground-Nesting Bees
There are over 20,000 bee species worldwide, with around 14,000 species creating underground burrows and tunnels. Here are some of the major groups:
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Mining Bees – Nest in tunnels in soil, often with large mounds at the entrance. Metallic-colored bodies.
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Mason Bees – Use mud or clay to build nests in crevices. Iridescent blue-black bodies
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Leafcutter Bees – Line nests with circular leaf sections. Black and yellow striped abdomens.
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Carpenter Bees – Bore nests into wood. Robust, black bodies up to 1 inch long.
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Digger Bees – Burrow in the ground. Large furry bees in black, blond, and reddish shades.
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Sweat Bees – Nest in shallow underground burrows. Tiny metallic green, blue, or purple bees.
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Orchid Bees – Dig nests in forest floors. Males are brightly colored in metallic greens and blues.
Ground Bee Portraits
Close-up images allow appreciation of the unique beauty of individual ground-nesting bees:
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A shiny green sweat bee with purple and turquoise tones, photographed on a flower with soft natural lighting.
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A macro shot of a carpenter bee’s huge jaws emerging from fuzzy black fur, emphasizing its wood-boring adaptations.
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A mining bee encrusted in yellow pollen faces the camera, showing off its velvety eyes and fox-red furry thorax.
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An iridescent blue-green mason bee collects nectar, its specialized hairy legs for carrying pollen clearly visible.
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A series of photos capturing a digger bee rotating its body 180° to land upside down on a flower.
Nesting Behavior
Ground-dwelling bees exhibit fascinating nesting habits:
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A leafcutter bee uses its mandibles to snip a perfect circle from a leaf for its nest.
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A long-horned bee emerges from its burrow, antennae loaded with pale orange pollen.
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A sweat bee stands guard at the entrance of her underground nest, ready to defend her brood.
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An extreme close-up shows a mining bee’s head emerging from a hole in the soil, surrounded by excavated dirt.
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Carpenter bees fly in and out of nest holes they have drilled into a wooden fence post.
Foraging and Feeding
Ground bees play a critical role in pollination. Images capture them hard at work foraging:
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An orchard bee probes a pink flower, its legs fuzzy with white pollen grains from previous flowers.
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A sweat bee covers itself in yellow pollen while feeding inside a sunflower.
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Metallic colors shine on a cuckoo bee drinking nectar, its long tongue inserted deep into a lupine bloom.
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A leafcutter bee lifts off from a flower, laden with a massive load of orange pollen on its hind legs.
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A digger bee uses its dexterous legs to pack goldenrod pollen into specialized pollen baskets on its thighs.
Unique Perspectives
Photographs provide rare glimpses into the normal hidden lives of ground bees:
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A miner bee, covered in white dust, drinks water droplets condensed on a plant’s leaves.
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Sweat bees cling to each other on a sun-warmed rock, soaking up heat and minerals.
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A wide overhead shot reveals a field dotted with mounds marking mining bee nest entrances.
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Extreme magnification shows the compound eye of a mason bee in sparkling detail.
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A macro photo highlights the iridescent fine hairs covering an orchid bee’s back and head.
Encouraging Ground Bees
Here are some tips to attract ground-nesting bees to your yard:
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Leave patches of exposed, undisturbed soil for nesting.
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Allow leaves, dead wood, and stems to provide nesting materials.
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Plant native wildflowers, herbs, vegetables, and bee-friendly trees.
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Include early and late blooming flowers to provide nectar all season.
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Provide a shallow water source like a bird bath or fountain.
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Avoid pesticides and insecticides which harm bees.
With a little encouragement, ground bees will reward you with efficient pollination and endlessly fascinating behaviors to observe and photograph. Appreciating the diversity and beauty of these underground nesters is as simple as making your garden bee-friendly!
How To Identify Bees (Ground-Nesting Bees Identification Chart: 77 Kinds of Bees Live in the Ground)
The overall color of the bee, the size and shape of it, the number of hairs on its body or just on its chest, and the color of the rings on its abdomen can all help you tell them apart.
There are 26 species of black and white bees in the US. Most bees are black and gold.
These black-and-white bees are mostly black, but they have white spots on their bellies or white hair on their heads.
They may fight back when they are abused, but they tend to be alone and believe that if you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.
Advantages of Ground Bees in Your Yard and Disadvantages of Ground Bees in Your Yard
According to the identification of ground-nesting bees, having certain types of ground bees in your backyard will ensure that any flowers nearby will be pollinated. This is especially true in early spring when plants and flowers are starting to bloom.
Even though the hives look bad, the soil benefits a lot from having ground bees because they turn the soil over, which lets nutrients go deeper, improves air flow, and makes it easier for water to drain.
When the bees leave in late spring, the unsightly mound slowly goes away with them. The ecosystem still benefits, though. The main complaint of ground bees, and the one disadvantage, are the unsightly mounds.
Lucky for us, they’re only a temporary problem. But if they need to be taken down for aesthetic reasons, that can be done without hurting the bees. Also, a lot of people don’t know the difference between wasps and bees and are afraid that one buzz will mean a sting.
what is the difference between yellow jackets, “ground bees” and ground nesting bees?
FAQ
What kind of bees nest in the ground?
Are ground bees aggressive?
How do you get rid of ground bees?
How do you tell if you have ground bees?
What is a ground bee?
Ground bees are all the bees that build nests on or underground, either by digging in loose soil or by taking over the abandoned burrows of animals. Ground bee nests can be shallow, above or just under the soil’s surface, or up to 3 feet (1 m) deep underground.
Are ground bees a species?
Ground bees are not a species – they are many different types of bees. The only thing that makes a ground bee a ground bee is the fact that it builds nests on or underground, where females lay their eggs. The different ground bees may share traits when it comes to their nests and behaviors, but this is not the case when it comes to their looks.
What does a ground bee look like?
Ground bees are the shape of honeybees. Ground bees typically measure 0.5” (13 mm) long and are active between March and July. Although the ground-nesting bees are black or brown, some species can have metallic green, blue, copper, and red colors. The nest of a ground bee looks like small mounds of dry earth or sand with a hole in the center.
What are the different types of ground nesting bees?
The species of ground-nesting bees include mason bees, sweat bees, leafcutter bees, digger bees, and mining bees. It’s a fact that 70 percent of more than the 20,000 species of bees burrow in the ground. Due to their activity and behavior, ground bees are also called cellophane bees or polyester bees.
How many ground bee photos are there?
Browse 15,768 ground bee photos and images available, or search for ground bee nest to find more great photos and pictures. Browse Getty Images’ premium collection of high-quality, authentic Ground Bee stock photos, royalty-free images, and pictures. Ground Bee stock photos are available in a variety of sizes and formats to fit your needs.
What does a ground bee nest look like?
Although the ground-nesting bees are black or brown, some species can have metallic green, blue, copper, and red colors. The nest of a ground bee looks like small mounds of dry earth or sand with a hole in the center. Each ground bee nest may only be a few inches (5 – 8 cm) wide and an inch or two (2.5 – 5 cm) tall.