Digger bees, often grouped with other solitary ground-nesting bees, can become a nuisance when they choose high-traffic areas for their annual nesting period. These insects create small, volcano-shaped mounds of soil, each with a pencil-sized hole at the center, which can make a lawn unsightly. The sudden emergence of many bees, typically in the spring, prompts homeowners to seek effective and safe management methods. The goal is to encourage these beneficial pollinators to relocate without resorting to harmful chemicals.
Identifying Digger Bees and Assessing the Threat
Digger bees are solitary insects, meaning each nest hole is occupied by a single female, unlike social colonies of honeybees or yellow jackets. They are generally covered in hair and vary in size, often resembling a large fly or a small, fuzzy bumblebee. A key sign of their presence is the low, rapid flight of bees just above the ground surface, often concentrated over bare or thin turf.
It is important to distinguish these docile bees from aggressive ground-nesting wasps, such as yellow jackets, which sting readily. Digger bees are not territorial and rarely sting unless accidentally stepped on or squeezed. They are active for only a short period, typically four to six weeks in the spring, emerging to mate and provision their nests before disappearing until the next year. Recognizing them as beneficial pollinators, management often focuses on deterrence rather than eradication due to their brief activity window.
Making the Soil Unsuitable for Nesting
Digger bees seek out dry, loose, or sandy soil with sparse vegetation for their burrows. Modifying the soil environment is the most effective non-lethal way to encourage them to move elsewhere.
Increasing the moisture content of the soil is a primary deterrent, as wet ground is difficult to excavate and less stable for nesting. Consistently watering the affected area during the bees’ active season makes the habitat unattractive. The soil should be kept sufficiently moist, not just damp, to impede their digging.
Applying a thick layer of organic mulch or compost, ideally two to three inches deep, across exposed soil surfaces blocks access to the ground. The physical barrier of the mulch prevents the female bees from starting their tunnels.
For areas of thin or bare lawn, soil compaction is another useful strategy. Lightly rolling or tamping down the soil makes the substrate too dense for the bees to burrow easily. This method, combined with consistent watering, changes the soil structure from the preferred loose consistency. These modifications should be maintained throughout their nesting period to ensure the bees relocate permanently.
Immediate Methods for Removal and Repulsion
For existing nesting aggregations, targeted, immediate actions can be taken to encourage the bees to abandon their current location. Non-toxic repellents utilizing strong scents are often successful because they make the nesting site unappealing.
A mixture of water and essential oils, such as peppermint, tea tree, or citrus, can be sprayed directly over the nesting area. Powdered deterrents like ground cinnamon or garlic powder sprinkled over the soil can also interfere with the bees’ ability to locate their nests and discourage further activity. These methods prompt the bees to seek a new, scent-neutral location without harming them. For individual holes, placing a heavy object like a flat stone or brick over the entrance temporarily blocks access, forcing the female to seek an alternative site.
In cases of severe infestation or if non-lethal methods are proving insufficient, a targeted application of insecticide dust is an option, though consulting a pest control professional is recommended. If attempting a treatment, a low-toxicity insecticidal dust should be applied directly into the holes after dusk, when the bees are inside their burrows. The entrance should then be plugged to contain the product and ensure the returning bees contact the dust. This targeted application minimizes harm to beneficial insects outside the immediate nesting area.
Seasonal Landscaping to Prevent Recurrence
Long-term prevention focuses on eliminating the bare, dry soil conditions that initially attracted the digger bees. The most effective strategy is establishing a dense, healthy turf in lawn areas. Overseeding the lawn every fall helps increase turf density and eliminates the exposed soil bees prefer for burrowing.
In garden beds and non-lawn areas, planting thick ground covers is an excellent way to eliminate bare patches. Species like creeping thyme, clover, or sedum form a continuous mat over the soil, making it physically impossible for the bees to dig their tunnels. Focusing on perennial ground covers ensures the deterrent remains in place year after year.
Strategic landscaping also discourages future nesting aggregations. Integrating hardscaping or dense plantings in historically active areas permanently alters the nesting substrate. By consistently maintaining a well-covered and well-watered landscape, homeowners remove the specific environmental conditions digger bees require, prompting them to select an alternative habitat.