Bees are one of the most widespread and diverse groups of insects on the planet, making the answer to “where to find them” far more complex than just a hive in a tree. There are over 20,000 known species of bees worldwide, including the familiar social honey bees, bumble bees, and thousands of solitary species. Exploring the location of bees requires looking across macro-level geography, specific ecosystems, and the micro-level structures they build for shelter.
Global Presence and Climatic Range
Bees have successfully colonized every continent except Antarctica, which lacks the necessary flowering plants and is too cold for their survival. Their global distribution is largely tied to the presence of flowering flora, which provides their food source through pollen and nectar. The highest concentrations of bee species do not necessarily occur in the tropics, going against the typical biological pattern where diversity increases toward the equator.
Instead, bee diversity follows a bimodal latitudinal gradient, peaking in arid and temperate regions, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. For example, the United States, especially its Southwest states, is recognized as a global hotspot for bee species richness. These arid and temperate zones often host a greater variety of flowering plants that are highly specialized for certain bee species.
Temperature is the primary factor limiting bee populations, as these insects are ectothermic and rely on their environment to regulate body heat. Foraging activity significantly declines below 50°F (10°C), and extreme heat above 104°F (40°C) also negatively affects their activity. This explains their scarcity in polar regions and at very high altitudes. Furthermore, prolonged droughts limit the availability of water and cause plants to produce less nectar, reducing the bees’ ability to sustain their colonies.
Diverse Ecosystems Bees Call Home
Bee species have adapted to thrive in a vast array of ecological settings, with different species specializing in different habitats based on their required forage and resources. Urban and suburban environments are often vibrant habitats for pollinators. Gardens, parks, street trees, and green spaces within cities offer a diverse and often year-round supply of flowers, sometimes supporting a wider variety of plant species than surrounding agricultural land.
Agricultural fields and meadows are densely populated by bees, especially during the blooming season of crops like fruit trees or berries. While agricultural monocultures provide a large, temporary food source, they can lead to food shortages once the crop is finished flowering. Managed honey bee colonies are intentionally placed in these areas to optimize pollination services.
Forests and woodlands support specific bee communities that rely on tree cavities or the flowering undergrowth for nesting and foraging. Bumble bees prefer these environments for their nests, often utilizing abandoned rodent burrows or hollow spaces beneath brush piles. Tropical forests tend to have lower overall bee diversity compared to temperate regions.
Conversely, arid zones, such as deserts, are surprisingly diverse homes for specialized, solitary bee species. These bees have adapted to synchronize their life cycles with the brief, intense flowering seasons that follow rain events. Urban farms that adopt organic practices in these climates can create refuges for honey bees by providing diverse forage and mitigating pesticide exposure.
Physical Nesting and Hiding Spots
The physical locations where bees establish their homes vary dramatically and are categorized primarily by their nesting style. The majority of bee species are ground nesters, meaning they dig tunnels in the soil for shelter and reproduction. These solitary females often choose areas with sparse vegetation and loose, well-drained soil, creating narrow tunnels that can extend up to ten feet deep.
Social bees, such as honey bees, are cavity nesters that build wax comb structures within protected spaces. In the wild, they utilize large, hollow spaces like tree trunks, rock crevices, or caves, but they may also be found in human-built structures like wall voids and attics. These hives can house tens of thousands of individuals and are typically permanent, allowing the colony to survive the winter.
Another large group includes solitary cavity and wood nesters, such as mason bees and carpenter bees. Mason bees use pre-existing hollow stems or abandoned tunnels in wood. Carpenter bees actively burrow into soft wood structures, such as fence posts or deck railings, creating galleries for their developing young. Bumble bees are also cavity nesters, often adopting old bird boxes for their smaller, annual colonies.