What kind of Ground Bee?
 

I noticed a VERY large 'ant hill' in my yard before mowing the lawn the
other day and for some reason, I decided to step on the hill to see what
would happen. Figured I had some sort of strange ant colony ...nope, a
couple passes w/the mower and I noticed bees of some sorts, about a half
dozen of them, frantically flying about over the closed hole. Got the Raid,
figured I'd have to kill 'em since I've gone and ****ed them off now,
sprayed a couple, but then realized that these little guys are NOT
aggressive at all. I stood there for the longest time and watched them
trying to dig their way back in, they did but it took 'em a while.

I looked up "ground bees" online but only seem to find info on yellow
jackets (they are not those) and info on a solitary ground bee ... I would
guess these are not that either since there were a whole bunch.

Anyhoo, they were smaller than a honey bee (much smaller) had very obvious
black and white striped rumps and a bright (practically fluorescent)
yellow/green front section - sorta reminded me of the green on a
green-headed fly (anybody from the Massachusetts area that's been to Plum
Island at a certain time of year will know what I'm talking about!).

Will these guys destroy my lawn? Or will there just be one little nest
there?

Thanks
~Catty One
20 miles north of Boston, Zone 5

Catty One wrote:
I noticed a VERY large 'ant hill' in my yard before mowing the lawn the
other day and for some reason, I decided to step on the hill to see what
would happen. Figured I had some sort of strange ant colony ...nope, a
couple passes w/the mower and I noticed bees of some sorts, about a half
dozen of them, frantically flying about over the closed hole. Got the Raid,
figured I'd have to kill 'em since I've gone and ****ed them off now,
sprayed a couple, but then realized that these little guys are NOT
aggressive at all. I stood there for the longest time and watched them
trying to dig their way back in, they did but it took 'em a while.

I looked up "ground bees" online but only seem to find info on yellow
jackets (they are not those) and info on a solitary ground bee ... I would
guess these are not that either since there were a whole bunch.

Anyhoo, they were smaller than a honey bee (much smaller) had very obvious
black and white striped rumps and a bright (practically fluorescent)
yellow/green front section - sorta reminded me of the green on a
green-headed fly (anybody from the Massachusetts area that's been to Plum
Island at a certain time of year will know what I'm talking about!).

Will these guys destroy my lawn? Or will there just be one little nest
there?

Thanks
~Catty One
20 miles north of Boston, Zone 5

This does sound rather like your bees:

http://ag.udel.edu/extension/information/hyg/hyg-07.htm

KD

Some form of Halictid, google an image of Greenheaded virescent bee

Okay, I have to ask: don't the big bumble-bee bees sometimes make nests in
the ground, too? I remember getting seriously stung by some fat old bumbly
looking thingies once.

Giselle (and I've met lots of people who say, "Oh, they don't sting" but I
have news for them -- I had an allergic reaction to them and grew a huge 2nd
degree burn-looking blister that crawled from my shoulder to my elbow like a
multi-armed octopus)

It probably is solitary ground bees. They don't have a communal nest, but
do nest in individual cells near each other. And you are so right, they are
not aggressive. Reason? They have no communal hive to defend. If, after
knowing all that, you still they think they are a problem, douse the area
with water as they prefer dry areas.

Suzy, Zone 5 Wisconsin

"Catty One" wrote in message
...
I noticed a VERY large 'ant hill' in my yard before mowing the lawn the
other day and for some reason, I decided to step on the hill to see what
would happen. Figured I had some sort of strange ant colony ...nope, a
couple passes w/the mower and I noticed bees of some sorts, about a half
dozen of them, frantically flying about over the closed hole. Got the
Raid,
figured I'd have to kill 'em since I've gone and ****ed them off now,
sprayed a couple, but then realized that these little guys are NOT
aggressive at all. I stood there for the longest time and watched them
trying to dig their way back in, they did but it took 'em a while.

I looked up "ground bees" online but only seem to find info on yellow
jackets (they are not those) and info on a solitary ground bee ... I would
guess these are not that either since there were a whole bunch.

Anyhoo, they were smaller than a honey bee (much smaller) had very obvious
black and white striped rumps and a bright (practically fluorescent)
yellow/green front section - sorta reminded me of the green on a
green-headed fly (anybody from the Massachusetts area that's been to Plum
Island at a certain time of year will know what I'm talking about!).

Will these guys destroy my lawn? Or will there just be one little nest
there?

Thanks
~Catty One
20 miles north of Boston, Zone 5

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/bees.html

Third section down is looking like my little colony. Thank you very much
for your info!

~Catty

wrote in message
oups.com...
Some form of Halictid, google an image of Greenheaded virescent bee

Is this the one?

http://www.sonic.net/~fstev/Green%20...%20bee-web.jpg



In article , "Catty One"
wrote:
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/bees.html

Third section down is looking like my little colony. Thank you very much
for your info!

~Catty

wrote in message
roups.com...
Some form of Halictid, google an image of Greenheaded virescent bee

I'm 99.9 sure, although I think I've only seen females w/the B&W striped
butts.


"Fred Stevens" wrote in message
...
Is this the one?

http://www.sonic.net/~fstev/Green%20...%20bee-web.jpg



In article , "Catty One"
wrote:
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/bees.html

Third section down is looking like my little colony. Thank you very
much
for your info!

~Catty

wrote in message
groups.com...
Some form of Halictid, google an image of Greenheaded virescent bee