Bees exhibit a variety of living arrangements, reflecting the diversity within their species. While many associate bees with large, communal hives, this is only one of many ways these insects establish their homes. Habitats range from elaborate, constructed structures to simple burrows or existing natural cavities. This adaptability allows bees to thrive in various environments.
Honey Bee Habitats
Honey bees establish their homes in various locations, both natural and human-made. In the wild, colonies frequently reside in hollow trees, rock crevices, or caves, utilizing these sheltered spaces for protection. Within these natural cavities, they construct intricate nests of hexagonal wax combs. These combs store honey and pollen, and house the queen’s eggs, larvae, and pupae.
A honey bee colony is a complex social unit, typically consisting of a single queen, thousands of female worker bees, and several hundred male drones. Worker bees cooperate in building the nest, collecting food, and raising the young. Honey bee colonies are perennial, meaning they survive year-round in their established homes. In managed settings, beekeepers provide artificial hives, often called Langstroth hives, which mimic natural cavities and allow for honey production and colony management. These structures also feature frames where bees build their wax combs, maintaining the essential internal organization of their living space.
Bumblebee Nests
Bumblebees are social insects that form annual colonies. A new queen emerges in the spring to begin a fresh nest, often in a pre-existing cavity. Bumblebees are opportunistic nesters, preferring sites that offer insulation and protection from the elements.
Common nesting locations include abandoned rodent burrows, dense grass tussocks, compost piles, or other existing underground or ground-level cavities. Some species may also nest slightly above ground in places like birdhouses or wall cavities. Bumblebees adapt these existing spaces, lining them with materials such as leaves or animal fur for insulation. The colony grows throughout the summer, producing new queens and males before the original queen and workers perish, leaving only the newly mated queens to hibernate.
Solitary Bee Homes
The majority of bee species are solitary, meaning each female bee builds and provisions her own individual nest. These bees exhibit diverse nesting strategies, utilizing various natural and sometimes human-made structures.
Roughly 70% of solitary bee species are ground-nesting bees. They excavate tunnels in bare soil, sandy banks, or lawns, with each tunnel leading to individual cells. Examples include mining bees and cellophane bees. Each cell contains an egg and a provision of pollen and nectar.
Other solitary bees are cavity-nesting species, making up about 30% of native bees. They utilize existing hollow spaces, such as old beetle borings in dead wood, hollow plant stems, or rock crevices. Mason bees and leafcutter bees are common examples that use human-made “bee hotels” with pre-drilled tunnels. These bees divide cavities into a series of cells, sealing each one off after laying an egg and supplying it with food. Solitary bees do not produce honey or store large amounts of wax combs.