Underground Bees - Ask Extension
I live in Eden Prairie and found several underground bees nests in my yard this year. One in a hosta garden, one in my lawn and one in a temporary pil...
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Underground Bees #833769
Asked June 05, 2023, 9:04 AM EDT
I live in Eden Prairie and found several underground bees nests in my yard this year. One in a hosta garden, one in my lawn and one in a temporary pile of small branches that were trimmed from Maple trees last Fall. All 3 areas have different species of bees in them. I am trying to identify the bees now, but they all need to be dealt with in the next couple of weeks because of major landscaping plans. Rather than just killing them off, I would like to try a more pollinator-friendly approach. Is there a resource that can help me with this situation? Also, it’s difficult to identify the bee groups since we have only seen them whizzing by our heads when we disturb them…any recommendations on a better way to ID them without hurting them?
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for the question about bees and your concern to help them in your yard. Most ground nesting bees are harmless and not aggressive which is a relief to most homeowners. About 70% of native bees nest in the ground. For identification, there are several websites, including the University of MN Bee Lab. Their website is a great source of information:
Here's a page in their website which may answer your question about ground nesting bees and provides an email for your questions:
