There are many species of bee, and virtually all are beneficial through their activity as pollinators. However, since bees can sting, they can present a considerable nuisance problem. Bees, as a group, can be distinguished from wasps by their covering of dense, plumose body hair.

Two groups of ground-nesting bees commonly encountered in Michigan are bumble bees and burrower bees.

Bumble bees are easily recognized by their large, robust, hairy, black and yellow (sometimes orange) bodies. Bumble bees live in colonies of several hundred individuals; however, only the queens overwinter.

Burrower bees are small to medium-sized, blackish or brownish bees with densely pubescent heads and midsections. Each female constructs a burrow in the ground and provisions it with nectar and pollen.

Control of ground-nesting bees can be achieved by treating the nests with an appropriate insecticide. For bumble bees, treat the nest entrance with carbaryl 5% (dust) or a "wasp and hornet" aerosol; after treating, close the nest entrance with a handful of moist soil.

Courtesy MSU Extension