Bees

Miners EOL Observer Cards
Look for small holes, often surrounded by mounds of
excavated soil, on lawns or sparsely vegetated open
areas as evidence of mining bees. Other mining bees
nest in vertical soil banks and some construct tube-like
turrets by sticking together small soil pellets with a gluey
secretion. Sandy or loamy soil is often preferred.
Supplemental Notes
Mining bees make up about 70% of our native bee fauna, and nest
architecture below ground varies widely among different species. Nests
may extend 60 cm or more in depth, with one or more tunnels leading
to the brood cells where eggs are laid and the young develop. Most
species line the cells with a secretion to make them waterproof and
resistant to mold. Although mining bees are typically solitary nesters,
some species nest in dense aggregations of thousands of bees, each
bee in its own nest.
Images: 1. The nests of Anthophora bomboides can be found near the sea shore.
© Sean McCann; 2. Turrets at the nest entrances of Anthophora abrupta. © John
Hartgerink; 3. The hind end of an Andrena bradleyi as she enters her nest. © Zach
Portman; 4. Colletes inaequalis lines its nest with a waterproof “cellophane.” ©
Michael Battenberg.
Author: Jessica Rykken, PhD. Editor: Jeff Holmes, PhD. More information at: eol.org
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