Ground Nesting Bees & Wasps

1. Ground Nesting Bees & Wasps Training Course 2011

2. Do you know What A ground bee looks like?

3. Is thisa ground bee?

4. Wildlife Information Center How about this?

5. What exactly is a is a Ground Bee? The word “Ground Bee” has evolved over the years into a slang that is used to describe almost any stinging insect that nests in the ground.

6. What exactly is a is a Ground Bee? Some of these “bees” can be seen swarming in large numbers over ivy or thinning grass when the weather warms up in the early spring.

7. What exactly is a is a Ground Bee? Others emerge from a single hole in the ground in late August or early September.

8. What exactly is a is a Ground Bee? To the untrained eye, Ground Bees are all the same. After all, a bee is a bee.

9. What exactly is a is a Ground Bee? When it comes to ground nesters, though, there’s more than meets the eye.

10. What exactly is a is a Ground Bee? In fact, it’s interesting to note that the ground-nesters we are accustomed to seeing here in Virginia comprise two totally different species that exhibit dynamically different tendencies, behavior, and nesting habits.

11. For today’s purposes, we will be reviewing the habits, behavior, and correct identification of two ground nesters common to the Williamsburg area: Solitary Ground Bee Yellow Jacket Rescue! ACAL Pest Services

12. Ground Bees SolitaryNesters

13. Ground Bees: Solitary Nesters There are over 20,000 species of bees in the world; Over 70% of our native species are Solitary Nesters (1) • Digger bees • Mining bees • Mason bees • Plasterer bees • Sweat bees • Carpenter bees

14. Solitary Andrenid BeesQuick Facts • Emerge March-April • Activity dies off within 1-2 months • Small size, 20 mm • Brown to black in color (2) Click Mouse ACAL Pest Services

15. Solitary Nesting Andrenid Bee Courtesy: Tony Diterlizzi

16. Solitary Andrenid BeesQuick Facts • Nest in a burrow in areas of sparse vegetation, old meadows, dry road beds, and sandy paths. • Note the similarity of the bee nests to anthills North Carolina State University

17. Solitary Andrenid Bees NoT Anthills! UGA Center for Urban Agriculture

18. Solitary Andrenid Bees In the historic area, Solitary Nesting Bees seem to Have a preference for nesting under English Ivy Pace Landscaping

19. Solitary Andrenid Bees They Often nest in the loose soil close to the edges of the ivy Shelby Landscaping

20. Solitary Andrenid Bees North Carolina State University

21. Solitary Andrenid Bees Although their nests are built in close proximity of one another, Ground bees are not social nesters. Bermdagrasslawns.com bumblebee.org

22. Solitary Andrenid Bees Friend or Foe? • Beneficial to the Environment • Collect pollen and nectar from early spring blooming flowers • more docile than social bees; they won't attack, and they rarely sting unless you step on them or handle them. (3) Click Mouse

23. Most professional pest management operators and entomologists agree that solitary ground bees pose no significant danger to the environment, and should be left alone if possible.

24. In fact, since solitary ground bees are active pollinators, they are considered to be beneficial insects.

25. Male Solitary ground nesters make up the majority of the Bee activity we see above the surface… … and they don’t even have a stinger!(4)

26. If you’re still a little hesitant about the ground bees buzzing around in the spring time, there are a few things you can do to discourage them from nesting on your property.

27. Water your Lawn and Garden Regularly … Ground Bees prefer to nest in dry soil. Rutgers landscape

28. Apply Mulch to bare soil in flower beds… This puts distance between burrowing ground bees and the underlying soil. Colorado State Education

29. Repair bare spots in lawn… The thicker the grass, the less chance there is ground bees will invade. Colorado State Education

30. Around the same time the Solitary Ground Bee  fades into retirement at the end of the spring season, another ground-nesting insect begins to emerge.

31. These brightly colored “Ground Bees”  are most often seen boiling out of old rodent burrows, holes between tree roots, and cavities in structural edifices. 

32. In reality, these late-blooming insects are not bees at all. Instead, they are members of the genus Vespula (the wasp family), and are more commonly known in the United states as…

33. Yellow Jackets

34. while similar in size to the solitary ground bee, yellow jackets are much different in behavior and nesting preferences than their peaceful counterparts.

35. yellow jackets are social insects that build intricate nests inside of preexisting cavities like rodent burrows.

36. Instead of feeding on balls of pollen, yellow jackets prey on other insects and nectar. They are scavengers of human wastes, and prefer foods and liquids high in protein or sugar to feed their young.

37. Yellow jackets are aggressive foragers, and are easily provoked by the presence of humans. this makes them a serious threat to the safety of those in their immediate vicinity.

38. Yellow Jacket Biology and Nesting Habits Goodisman Research Group

39. This diagram will demonstrate how a yellow jacket nest forms over the course of a season. Note how the populations of yellow jackets don’t escalate until the mid-summer months.

40. NAPA County Mosquito Abatement District

41. The following images represent the different phases of yellow jacket nest development, starting with the larval stage and ending with the finished product that exists at the end of the summer.

42. Spring Yellow jacket Larvae mature over the course of 18-20 Days. Goodisman Research Group

43. After pupating, Adult Workers emerge from their cells. Goodisman Research Group

44. The Queen continues to lay eggs while workers assume the duties of feeding and caring for the larvae. Goodisman Research Group

45. The Workers pass a paste of chewed up meat and food products to feed the larvae. Goodisman Research Group

46. The Larva in turn secrete a sweet substance for the workers to feed on. Goodisman Research Group

47. This process of mutual feeding between workers and larvae is called Trofallaxis. Goodisman Research Group

48. The queen continues to lay eggs, and The colony expands rapidly over the summer months. Goodisman Research Group

49. Populations escalate from several hundred workers to 5000 by the peak of the season. (5) Goodisman Research Group

50. Yellow Jackets Unlike solitary nesting Ground bees, Yellow jackets nest in a variety of places. Nests are typically found in tree stumps, holes in the ground, and in wall voids of building structures. Click Mouse General pest Control Co.