In New England , there are several species of bee that make their home in the ground . These priming coat - draw close bees admit cellophane bees , sweat bees , and andrenid , also known as mining bees . Each of these bee species has its own unique nesting habit and plays an authoritative theatrical role in pollination .
Cellophane bee are solitary bee , meaning that each female bee creates her own nest . However , these nest are often found in stuffy proximity to each other , creating an mass nesting site . I have personally observed these bees in my own garden , where they have created modest burrows in the ground . The female cellophane bees use their mandibles to dig out these burrow and delineate them with a cellophane - like core , which gives them their name . This lining helps to protect the nest and keep it secure . Cellophane bee are excellent pollinators and can often be fancy buzzing around flowers in hunting of nectar and pollen .
Sweat bees , on the other hand , can be either lonely or societal . Some coinage of sweat bees create underground burrow that interconnect with each other , forming a complex internet . These social sweat bees often dwell in large colony and work together to exert and defend their nest . However , there are also lonely sweat bee species that prefer to make individual nests . These solitary sweat bee are often attracted to areas with plain soil or sandy fleck , where they can easily dig their nesting tunnels . I have receive effort bees while work out in my garden , and their vibrant colors and minuscule size of it make them classifiable and fascinating to observe .
Andrenids , or mining bees , are another type of soil - nesting bee find in New England . These bees are solitary and play a essential theatrical role in pollinating yield trees . They are often see buzzing around orchard , searching for flowers to pull in nectar and pollen from . Andrenids create their nests by digging tunnel in the solid ground , ordinarily in areas with loose dirt . These tunnel can be several inch deep and are lined with a waterproof substance to protect the originate bee larvae . I have had the delight of watch andrena in action while visiting an orchard apple tree orchard in New England . Their efficient pollenation efforts contribute to the succeeder of fruit production in the region .
There are several character of ground - nesting bees in New England , include cellophane bees , sweat bee , and andrenids . Each species has its own unequalled nesting habits , from solitary cellophane bee make aggregative nest to social swither bees with interconnected burrow , and lone mining bee compass deep tunnel . These bees are not only fascinating to observe but also toy a life-sustaining role in cross-pollinate flowers and fruit trees , contributing to the overall wellness and biodiversity of the region .
Caroline Bates
