Nesting Biology

Native bees nest in a variety of ways, each species adapted to its own ecological niche.  The greater the diversity of ecological niches in an area, the greater capacity for the environment to support a variety of bees.  Nesting habitats include ground nesting, stem and wood-nesting, and cavity nesting.

Ground-nesting bees make up a majority of known bee species including commonly found bumble bees (Bombus), sweat bees (Agapostemon, Halictus, Lasioglossum), and mining bees (Andrena). They build their nests in dirt or sand, and prefer areas in direct sunlight.

Stem and wood-nesting bees generally consist of carpenter bees, which make their nests out of various types of wood.  Large carpenter bees, genus Xylocopa have the capacity to bore into hardwoods, but smaller carpenter bees, genus Ceratina need pithy stems like those of sumac, rose, and raspberry plants. 

Cavity-nesting bees live in holes, or snags, created and abandoned by other insects, like beetles, or drilled out by humans.  These bees create partitions within the nest, but do not carve out nests for themselves.  Genera include the Megachile leafcutter bees, Hylaeus masked bees, and Osmia mason bees.