Seeing a sudden buzz of insects or small, volcano-like mounds of soil in the grass is a common springtime occurrence. While this activity can be alarming, these insects are usually beneficial pollinators. Their presence is a natural sign of a healthy, biodiverse yard. Understanding who these visitors are and why they chose your lawn is the first step toward peaceful coexistence.
Identifying the Occupants
The insects hovering near the ground generally fall into three categories, and proper identification is important for safety. The most frequent visitors are solitary ground bees, such as Mining Bees (Andrena species) or Digger Bees (Anthophora species). These bees are fuzzy and appear individually, each focused on its own small burrow entrance, typically the diameter of a pencil.
Social bees, like bumblebees or honeybees, may also be present, but they are usually foraging on the lawn rather than nesting in it. Bumblebees are noticeably larger and rounder, with a dense coat of hair. It is important to distinguish bees from ground-nesting wasps, particularly aggressive Yellow Jackets.
Yellow Jackets have a smoother, less fuzzy body and a sharper separation between the thorax and abdomen. Their nests are social colonies, with a constant stream of individuals flying in and out of a single, often larger, entrance hole. Ground bees are non-aggressive because they have no large hive to defend, and the males, which are often the most active flyers, lack a stinger altogether.
The Primary Reason: Ground Nesting
The primary reason for finding these insects is that approximately 70% of native bee species are ground nesters. These solitary females excavate individual tunnels for their offspring, creating small, characteristic mounds of loose dirt at the surface. These nests do not form a communal hive; the female provisions her nest cell with pollen and nectar before laying a single egg and sealing it.
The first is Native bees prefer specific conditions, typically choosing areas with well-drained, sandy, or dry soil. They often select sunny spots where the grass is sparse or thin, allowing for easier digging and warmer soil temperatures. The activity is seasonal, usually peaking for just a few weeks in the spring or early summer, after which the adults die.
The presence of many individual nests also suggests ideal soil conditions, which can make them appear like a colony when they are actually an aggregation of neighboring nests. Their nesting behavior is not harmful to the lawn; the burrowing activity helps aerate the soil, improving water and nutrient penetration.
Alternative Reason: Lawn Foraging
If bees are moving across the top of the grass without entering a hole, they are likely visiting the lawn for food. Many common lawn plants, often considered weeds, are rich sources of pollen and nectar. Early spring bloomers like dandelions provide an important first source of food for emerging pollinators.
White clover and creeping charlie are other examples of low-growing flora that attract a variety of bees. The bees are transient visitors, moving from flower to flower to collect resources for themselves or to provision their nests.
Maintaining a lawn with some flowering plants creates a valuable forage habitat, especially when other food sources are scarce.
Safe Management and Coexistence
The best approach to managing ground bees is often to allow them to complete their short nesting cycle. Since they are beneficial pollinators and only active for a brief period, coexistence is the simplest and most environmentally responsible option. Wearing shoes when walking on the lawn during peak spring activity provides a simple and effective safety precaution.
If you must discourage nesting in a specific area, you can change the soil conditions, as ground bees prefer dry soil. Increasing the frequency of watering during the weeks the bees are active will make the soil less desirable for burrowing.
Increasing turf density through overseeding and proper fertilization can also eliminate the bare or sparse patches the bees seek out. To reduce foraging activity, mow the lawn more frequently during the blooming period of weeds like dandelions and clover, effectively removing the food source. Avoiding the use of broad-spectrum pesticides is highly recommended, as these chemicals can harm beneficial bees and other non-target insects.