Did you know, about 3/4 of all wild bee species nest in the soil and spend much of their life cycle underground.
The ground nesting are one of these type of bees. These bees usually increase their activity in many lawns in early spring which can alarm many people; particularly when their "dirt pile" nests start appearing in the lawn, so this article is to give you guys a little more information about them so you learn to not fear them but love and accept them.
Ground Nesting bees usually are seen along the sides of paths, or bare patches of soil that most people take for granted. The nest usually is a tube about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long, excavated in dry soil by a female bee. There are many challenges that come from nesting in the ground: predators; moisture and flooding; intense heat; the challenges over overwintering; nest disturbance by people, vehicles, other large animals; and pesticides are just a few. As a result, the bees have to come up with some tactics on how to avoid these dangers. Firstly, to deal with the natural threats that ground nesting bees face, they line their nests with things like hard-packed soil, bits of cut leaves and masticated flower petals. One genus of ground nesting bee is known as "cellophane bees" for the clear, waterproof stuff they paint onto the walls of their nests. Whatever the material, nest linings keep the young sufficiently dry and retain the integrity of the nest.
The politics of underground nesting bees worlds slightly differently to a normal hive. Ground nesting or miner bees are solitary bees that create underground galleries, with queens living individually and raising their own young. The entrance is usually made from small piles or patches of bare soil. The males often patrol an area inhabited by females seeking mates.
Did you know that these males lack a sting and are actually harmless. They may look active and aggressive however, they cannot hurt you.
Many people believe that by nesting in the ground, they can harm the lawn they are in. However, whilst a little unaesthetically pleasing, they do absolutely no harm to the grass or soil—even improving it as their nests function as aeration holes, improving the penetration of water and nutrients. By spring, all the soil is fixed, as the nests are abandoned after the spring nesting season, the soil washes back into place with rain, disappearing completely.
How to remove
We strongly recommend that you don't use pesticides to remove these bees. Instead, simply watering the area that they have chosen will cause them to move to another area. Ground nesting bees prefer dry soil to wet soil and will look elsewhere to make their nests
