How do I remove these dirt bees? - Ask Extension
These bees are swarming in different locations in my yard. The exterminator desnt know how to eradicate them. They have started making holes in my gra...
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How do I remove these dirt bees? #869090
Asked May 19, 2024, 11:35 AM EDT
These bees are swarming in different locations in my yard. The exterminator desnt know how to eradicate them. They have started making holes in my grass which he said will die because of the bees. Please tell me how to remove these bees.
Thank you
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Exterminators ideally should not be eradicating ground-nesting bees (at least any native species, which the majority of them will be with hundreds of species living in Maryland). With ever-increasing amounts of development, paved ground, and invasive species taking over natural areas, habitat is dwindling for these valued pollinators. They do not sting people to defend their nests, unlike yellowjackets or honey bees. Ground-nesting bees (mining bees being one example of a common group) will not kill the plants in their nesting area, and the adults are active for a relatively brief period of time each year. They are merely taking advantage of the easy-to-excavate soil and thinning turf, rather than being the cause of the turf thinning itself.
To discourage future generations of ground-nesting bees, increase the density of the turf or improve its health by finding out why it's in decline. This entails the usual lawn care and maintenance practices of periodically testing soil (in case acidity or nutrient levels need adjusting), overseeding each autumn with recommended varieties, and mowing high. In non-lawn areas like garden beds, usually a thick (about 3") mulch layer and/or groundcover planting is enough to discourage most species of bee.
Without using insecticide (which we do not recommend), there is no way to remove the bees already present. The adults will die out on their own in just a few more weeks (or sooner), and the baby bees will remain in the burrows, out of sight, until next year. The depth of the nest tunnel will depend on the bee species, and while roto-tilling would manually destroy nests (something we also would not recommend), that is of course not a practical solution in established lawn or a mulched garden bed. If the mulch layer is thin, you can supplement it to be closer to 3 inches thick, but that (if successful) will only prevent existing nests from being finished; it won't do much to affect any already provisioned with pollen by the mother bee who has since left or died.
Miri
To discourage future generations of ground-nesting bees, increase the density of the turf or improve its health by finding out why it's in decline. This entails the usual lawn care and maintenance practices of periodically testing soil (in case acidity or nutrient levels need adjusting), overseeding each autumn with recommended varieties, and mowing high. In non-lawn areas like garden beds, usually a thick (about 3") mulch layer and/or groundcover planting is enough to discourage most species of bee.
Without using insecticide (which we do not recommend), there is no way to remove the bees already present. The adults will die out on their own in just a few more weeks (or sooner), and the baby bees will remain in the burrows, out of sight, until next year. The depth of the nest tunnel will depend on the bee species, and while roto-tilling would manually destroy nests (something we also would not recommend), that is of course not a practical solution in established lawn or a mulched garden bed. If the mulch layer is thin, you can supplement it to be closer to 3 inches thick, but that (if successful) will only prevent existing nests from being finished; it won't do much to affect any already provisioned with pollen by the mother bee who has since left or died.
Miri
Thank you for this answer.
Steven
Steven
