Burrowing 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).

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.

Dalton Westerbeck with Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum e-mailed me Wednesday to report that soil "mining bees" are waking from their winter naps. Dalton is an ISA Certified Arborist and an Ohio State Beekeepers Association, Master Beekeeper. He is locating and marking all of the mining bee "colonies" in the Grove so he can document their population densities and seasonal development.