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Types of Bee Nests: The Surprising Diversity of Honey Bee Hives

There are two types of bee nests: one is a hive, and the second is a natural nest created by bees. Manufactured nests or hives are created by beekeepers who produce honey. But natural nests are created by bees on trees and ground. Some types of bee nests are the same in shape like wasps. Bee nests are full of colonies and honey: Here in this article you learn about the difference between natural and artificial types of bee nests.

Types of Bees Nests

Bees create natural nests in trees, caves and underground. Bees create nests on trees consisting of three parts. The upper part is used to store honey, the second part is designated for queen bees, and the third part is utilized by other bees such as workers and drones. Ground nests, on the other hand, are constructed using different methods.

Type of Bees Short List.

Ground Nests

Ground-nesting bees excavate burrows in the soil, creating chambers for their larvae. These bees prefer dry, well-drained areas and are commonly found in gardens, fields, and sandy terrains.

Wood-Nesting Bees

Some species of bees, like carpenter bees, carve nesting galleries in wooden structures. They use their mandibles to excavate tunnels in dead wood, where they rear their offspring.

Cavity-Nesting Bees

Cavity-nesting bees seek out existing holes or crevices, such as hollow plant stems, abandoned beetle burrows, or small gaps in rocks, to construct their nests. They may also utilize man-made structures like pipes or bee boxes.

Masonry Bees

Masonry bees, or mortar bees, use mud or other natural materials to build partitions within their nests. They construct cells within pre-existing gaps in brickwork, rock crevices, or hollow plant stems.

Leafcutter Bees

Leafcutter bees utilize circular pieces of leaves to fashion cells within their nests. They carefully cut and arrange these leaf fragments to create protective chambers for their larvae.

Resin Bees

Resin bees, like the genus Megachile, collect resin from plants to line their nests. They fashion resinous partitions within pre-existing cavities or use them to construct cylindrical cells.

Mining Bees

Mining bees excavate burrows in the ground, often creating a series of interconnected tunnels. They prefer well-drained, sandy soils and may be solitary or form loose colonies.

Sweat Bees

Sweat bees construct nests in a variety of locations, including underground burrows, cavities in rocks, or even in plant stems. They are named for their attraction to human sweat, which they use as a source of minerals.

Polyester Bee Nests

Some bees, such as the polyester bee Colletes gigas, mix plant material with a secretion from their abdominal glands to create a waterproof lining for their underground nests.

Aggregated Nests

Some bee species, like mining bees in the Andrena genus, create nests in close proximity to one another, forming loose aggregations. While each female bee maintains her own nest, they benefit from the collective warmth and protection provided by the colony.

Ground Nests Bees

Ant’s and bees’ ground nests are the same in look but different in size. Bees’ nests are more extensive than ants’ nests. Bee ground nests have three ways: for queen bees, workers, and drones. The bees in the ground are not stingy or dangerous for humans. Only male worker bees remove the nests to collect pollen and nectar. Female bees stay in nests year-round to lay eggs.

Types of Bee Nests

Ground Bees’ Nests Removal Cost

The average cost of bee removal is 400$ to 1200$. It depends on the type of bees and how many bees there are. And it depends on where you live and how much money beekeepers charge. But the average cost of ground bee removal is 400$ to 800$. The lowest cost to remove ground bees is $100, which is the best price for removal and is very affordable. Beekeepers charge less if there are fewer bees.

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Polyester Bees

Information about polyester bees or (ground-nesting bees)

SizeThey are larger and thicker than bumbles and honey bees.
Collected beesPolyester bees are known as collective bees.
Scientific nameColletidae is the scientific name of a polyester bee.
ColourMostly they are brownish black colour.
Colletidae Shape Looks like a honey bee but thinner than a honey bee.
Nesting system Polyester bees create their nests in the ground in the soil. His nest has two parts, one for the queen and one for the worker. They protect their nest from rain by covering it with mud. These bees spend half their lives in a nest.
StingPolyester bee is a stingy bee which stings you when you create a disturbance.
Colletidae FactShort tongue compared to other bees.

Mining Bees 

Mining bees, also known as digger bees, are fascinating insects that play a crucial role in pollination and ecosystem health. These small creatures are often mistaken for honeybees due to their similar appearance, but they have unique characteristics and behaviors that set them apart.

These industrious bees are solitary creatures, unlike the social structure of honeybees. Each female mining bee creates her own underground nest, often in sandy or loose soil. Watching them in action is like witnessing a construction project – they meticulously dig tunnels to create their nests, where they’ll lay eggs and provide pollen and nectar provisions for their offspring.

Scientific nameAndrena is the scientific name of mining bees.
SizeNot any fixed size. Some are small, and some are large, with 10 to 16 mm.
ColourAndrena bees are brown, black and grey in color.
ShapeThey have fovea on their face, and only females collect pollen.  
Development April, May, June and July are its developer months.
Nesting systemThese bees have many species that live longer with large groups, so they build large nests in the ground.
Andrena stingMining bees cannot sting; they behave friendly with humans and are not aggressive.
Pollinating The pollination of mining bees is beneficial for our vegetables. Young mining bees like to eat pollen and nectars. The pollination of mining bees is called buzz pollination.
FactsMining bees do not belong with the honey bee family.

Wood Bees Nests.

10% out of 100% of bees build their nest in trees or wood. They build their house by using mandibles. 

Wood nest bee.
Wood nest bee.

Small Carpenter Bees

SizeCarpenter bees are smaller than all types of bees. His body size is 6 to 7 mm.
ColourThey are yellow and green and have white lines on the face.
DevelopmentThese small bees have no fixed season for their development. Its diversity is almost all year round. 
NestingThese carpenter bees make a home under plant stems. They cut soft parts of these plants for nests. 
Sting Small carpenter bee is a stingy bee.
Honey making abilityBecause of nesting habits not possibel to make honey.

Conclusion

Different types of bee nests are found all over the world. Every bee species nests are different from others. Some bees belong with honey making family and some cannot have ability to make honey. Ground nesting bees are different from leafcutter bees. Usually people love those bees which produce honey.

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