What is Living Next to My House - Ask Extension
Last year, my rhododendron (24 years at location) bloomed magnificently and then died. After the plant was removed, I found holes in the earth near t...
Knowledgebase
What is Living Next to My House #927730
Asked April 07, 2026, 1:10 PM EDT
Last year, my rhododendron (24 years at location) bloomed magnificently and then died. After the plant was removed, I found holes in the earth near the base of my front steps. I took photos but they did not seem that useful. Today, I checked the area again and now there are many, much smaller holes stretching for roughly 26 or 27 inches along the base of the wall and extending out from there with the furthest out being about 12 inches from the wall. While there, a probable wasp "disappeared", I assume into a hole.
1) Is the flying "insect" identifiable from the photo? If so, what is it? The wasp-like insect is in the first 2 photos below. Possibly different ones?
2) Could these have contributed to the sudden death of the rhododendron?
3) What do the holes signify? How worried should I be? What should my next steps be?
Thank you.
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
The holes are burrows of solitary (and likely native) ground-nesting bees. They are not wasps, and will not defend a nest the way ground-nesting yellowjackets could; they are not a concern and will not bother people. Adult bees in this group are not active for very long (maybe a few weeks, depending on the species), and after the adults provision their burrow with pollen for the next generation, they will seal the burrow and either move on or die of natural aging. These types of bees are important pollinators and they are losing suitable habitat for nesting, so we recommend they be protected when possible.
Their presence was unrelated to the death of the Rhododendron. Plants can flower (especially when they are spring-blooming, as those buds are formed many months before they actually open) even if they are about to die, possibly because it gives the plant one last chance to reproduce before it declines too much. Rhododendron is vulnerable to a number of pest and disease issues and environmental stresses, and a planting site close to a building foundation (despite being a common spot for gardeners to plant them) can be quite hard on them over the long term. 24 years is a good period of a time to have had a Rhododendron doing decently well in that type of location.
No action is needed, and if you want to replace the Rhododendron with another shrub or perennial, it's fine to plant, because the bees aren't interested in stinging you. (They aren't sharing a nest that needs to be defended, and they also are spending their short adult lives collecting pollen for their babies to eat when the eggs hatch.) Their burrows similarly won't hurt plant roots, and if anything, the tunnels help roots because of the added aeration and drainage they provide. Each female bee digs and provisions her own burrow; they nest in congregations like this simply because of suitable habitat, so they aren't helping each other dig or forage.
Miri
Their presence was unrelated to the death of the Rhododendron. Plants can flower (especially when they are spring-blooming, as those buds are formed many months before they actually open) even if they are about to die, possibly because it gives the plant one last chance to reproduce before it declines too much. Rhododendron is vulnerable to a number of pest and disease issues and environmental stresses, and a planting site close to a building foundation (despite being a common spot for gardeners to plant them) can be quite hard on them over the long term. 24 years is a good period of a time to have had a Rhododendron doing decently well in that type of location.
No action is needed, and if you want to replace the Rhododendron with another shrub or perennial, it's fine to plant, because the bees aren't interested in stinging you. (They aren't sharing a nest that needs to be defended, and they also are spending their short adult lives collecting pollen for their babies to eat when the eggs hatch.) Their burrows similarly won't hurt plant roots, and if anything, the tunnels help roots because of the added aeration and drainage they provide. Each female bee digs and provisions her own burrow; they nest in congregations like this simply because of suitable habitat, so they aren't helping each other dig or forage.
Miri
Thank you. Can you identify the wasp in the far left, towards top of first photo?
Thanks
Ginevra
You're welcome.
The insect is a bee, not a wasp, but no, we can't see enough detail as there are hundreds of bee species in Maryland, many of them ground-nesting and active in spring. It might be in the category of mining bees or cellophane bees, but those are still sizeable groups that take microscopic examination to separate to species level.
Miri
The insect is a bee, not a wasp, but no, we can't see enough detail as there are hundreds of bee species in Maryland, many of them ground-nesting and active in spring. It might be in the category of mining bees or cellophane bees, but those are still sizeable groups that take microscopic examination to separate to species level.
Miri
