The information and recommendations in this newsletter are applicable to North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
The information and recommendations in this newsletter are applicable to North Carolina and may not apply in other areas.
From: Stephen B. Bambara, Extension Entomologist
I have been receiving many reports of bees mining in the ground lately. This early in the year, the culprit is usually andrenid bees. Soon it will be colletids or other friendly native bees.
Andrenid bees are called mining bees. Mining bees have one generation of adults per year in the spring. Each female constructs her own nest without help of other bees. Once this flight of mining bees dies out, there will be no activity in the area until the following spring. These bees have no "nest guarding instinct" as do the social wasps and social bees. Just walking by the nests will not prompt the bees to "attack" as they do not have alarm pheromones and instinctive behavior to "know" how to attack. It may be possible to step on a mining bee while barefooted and get stung on the foot, but that is about the only hazard from these otherwise beneficial insects. Mining bees are valuable pollinators of spring crops. It is better to coexist with the bees because of their value in the pollination of various crops than try to eradicate them with pesticides. Ornamental & Turf Insect Information Note No. 100 contains more information about a similar spring bee that burrows in turfgrasses from time to time.
Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
Last modified on March 23, 2000 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.