Mining Bee

*Andrenidae*

Content coming soon for this insect guide.

Insect Profile

Beneficial Rating

+5 Beneficial

Active Months

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

US Distribution

NortheastSoutheastMidwestSouthwestWestPacific Northwest

Habitat Preferences

gardenslawnsmeadowsforest edgesareas with thin grass or bare soil

Taxonomic Group

Bee

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Andrenidae

Lifecycle

The life cycle of the mining bee begins in the spring when the adult bees emerge from their underground burrows. After mating, the female excavates a tunnel in the soil, which can be up to a foot deep. She then creates several small chambers, or cells, branching off from the main tunnel. In each cell, she deposits a ball of pollen and nectar and then lays a single egg on top of it. The egg hatches into a larva, which feeds on the pollen and nectar ball. After a few weeks, the larva pupates and transforms into an adult bee. The adult bee remains in the cell throughout the winter and emerges the following spring to start the cycle anew. There is typically one generation of mining bees per year.

Overwintering Strategy

Adults overwinter in their natal burrows underground.

Native Range

Nearly cosmopolitan, with high diversity in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

Attracted By

sunnywell-drained soilbare groundspring-blooming flowersfruit treesorchidsblueberries

Repelled By

dense turfheavy mulchwet soil

Companion Planting

Mining bees are generalist pollinators, so a wide variety of flowering plants will attract them. Planting a diverse garden with continuous blooms from early spring to late summer will provide a consistent food source. They are particularly fond of spring-blooming flowers and fruit trees. Allowing some areas of the garden to remain as bare, undisturbed ground will provide nesting sites.