encouraging miner bees to move on - Ask Extension
We have a rapidly expanding group of what we believe are miner bees populating the area right in front of our house. I have attached a picture of a b...
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encouraging miner bees to move on #830543
Asked May 17, 2023, 12:30 PM EDT
We have a rapidly expanding group of what we believe are miner bees populating the area right in front of our house. I have attached a picture of a bee and of several of the holes they have made. They are a bit intimidating when entering or leaving and I worry that soon deliveries will not be made. How do we get them to move on?
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
You are correct. Those are a type of native mining bee, which nest singly, with just the female doing all the work.
Mining bees are very important and should be conserved if at all possible. They are non-aggressive and are not a worry for stinging (since they are not in a social hive that needs protecting.)
Their activity doesn't last very long, just a few weeks.
Here is our page on them:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/mining-bees-lawns
Perhaps you would consider a sign letting
visitors/delivery folks know that the bees are native, valuable pollinators, and not aggressive or motivated to sting would be helpful?
Otherwise, as the link above notes,
Christine
Mining bees are very important and should be conserved if at all possible. They are non-aggressive and are not a worry for stinging (since they are not in a social hive that needs protecting.)
Their activity doesn't last very long, just a few weeks.
Here is our page on them:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/mining-bees-lawns
Perhaps you would consider a sign letting
visitors/delivery folks know that the bees are native, valuable pollinators, and not aggressive or motivated to sting would be helpful?
Otherwise, as the link above notes,
- Heavy watering with a lawn sprinkler will discourage nesting behavior.
- Long-term control involves the elimination of bare-ground areas and the establishment of dense turf or groundcover can discourage these bees.
Christine
