Ground-Nesting Bees Q&A
Southwest Yard & Garden By Bethany Abrahamson, Dr. Joanna Bloese, and Dr. Joanie King A bee peeking out of its nest. Photo credit: Joanie King, NMSU. QUESTION: What are ground-nesting bees, and how are they different from honey bees? ANSWER: While we love to see native bees flying around pollinating our plants, the truth is native bees actually spend very little of their life among the flowers. Most of their lifespan is spent out of sight. Around 70% of North America’s native bee species make homes for their larvae underground. Bees go through complete metamorphosis, changing throughout their lifetimes from egg to larva to pupa to adult. The larval stage can be relatively short, as in the case of bumble bees, or go on for months. At this life stage, bees are very vulnerable and need protection, so adults build nests furnished with pollen for them to grow in safety. Adults spend part of the summer furnishing their nests, then rely on the larvae in those nests to survive...