Soil Mining Bees

I recently came across one of the largest colonies of soil mining bees I’ve ever seen in Ohio. The image below shows the extent of the collection of these important plant pollinators found in Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum (SGCA).

The majority of bee species nest below ground with around 70% excavating their own nests. Indeed, nesting in the ground is considered the ancestral nesting behavior of all bees. Although there may be some “ground rules” regarding how we refer to these solitary bees, I’m never certain if we should call them, “ground-nesting,” “soil mining,” or something else.

Soil “mining bees” have been on the wing in southern and central Ohio for a few weeks but their activity has been rising and falling with our roller coaster temperatures. Still, we’re receiving reports of homeowners, school administrators, park managers, and others feeling besieged and opting to consider taking drastic, ill-advised measures.

Last week, I came across one of the largest collections of soil "mining bees" that I've ever seen in Ohio. The "colony" was located in a picnic area and numerous males were making their low-level flights in search of females. The sparse turfgrass coupled with early-evening lighting made conditions perfect for taking pictures.