Thank you for reaching out to us.

A very cool find! Many of our local bumble bee species are losing their habitat and/or are being negatively affected by urbanization, pesticide use, disease and more. Over 10 species of bumble bees are found in Maryland. Also a great find since they are beneficial pollinators to the plants in your community plot and other surrounding green spaces; supporting our local ecosystems.

Ideally if the nest can be left alone and undisturbed the nest will only last (remain active) between 2 and 6 months (depending on weather, food available, bee species, etc.). From a safe distance you can keep an eye on activity, which can be a great learning experience for fellow gardeners and neighbors. National pollinator week is coming up on June 17–23, 2024, a week to celebrate and raise awareness about the importance and diversity of pollinators.

Any kind of intense ground vibrations (raking, tilling, mowing, etc.) may feel threatening to female bumblebees whose role is to protect the nest. Otherwise bumble bees are typically very calm and the usual bees you see flying from the nest are focused on foraging (collecting pollen and nectar from nearby flowers). 

Signage could be a great way to alert peers about the nest to keep people, pets, and bees safe. If you are interested in an educational sign, please let us know and we would be happy to work with you to create a sign. There are also great opportunities to participate in community science, like through the project Bumble Bee Watch.

Another step that can be taken is creating a barrier around the nest using chicken wire or garden netting with stakes or stones- something that keeps peer and pets away while allowing the bees to enter and exit their nest. The safest time to construct a barrier is at night or very early in the morning when bees are least active. Even so, bees are more inclined to sting if you are near their nest, so it is recommended to cover up skin with thick clothing and layers. A local beekeeper may be willing to help with this task. Here is the contact page for the the Howard County Beekeepers Association: https://www.hocoba.com/got-bees and here is the contact page for the Central Maryland Beekeepers Association: https://www.centralmarylandbees.org/contact-cmba/.

If you find there are continued issues with aggressive bumblebees and nearby ground vibrating activities cannot be paused, a nest relocation can be considered but should be a last resort. Unfortunately if the nest is underground, relocation can be nearly impossible as entrance tunnels can sometimes be several feet long underground. A local beekeeper may be willing to help with this task (please see beekeeper contact pages/links above).

Please note if a professional pest control service is used, like an exterminator, it is likely that they will simply kill the nest.

For more information on managing, safely conserving, and/or removing bumblebee nests, please see this webpage by the Xerces Society: https://xerces.org/bumblebeenests. This page also has a lot of great general information on bumble bee nesting habits, bumblebee queen biology, etc. if you are interested. 

To learn more about the different bumble bees of the eastern United States, please see this Xerces publication: https://www.xerces.org/publications/identification-and-monitoring-guides/bumble-bees-of-eastern-united-states. 

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any further questions and/or are interested in signage.