It sounds like you might have a hive nearby. I hope an expert sees your post !

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Okay, I read your post again...They're really hangin' in, huh? Describe what they look like...Google Yellow Jackets...If they're not biting, that's a start.

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Dave
Even my growlights are getting restless!

Thanks for all your replies! It's nice to see something in the inbox first thing

Anyway, I just went out and they are not here yet. It's just before 7 and cool.

I realize my description of "bees" was vague! They are not yellowjackets. They look like honey bee-style bees. I read up on "Solitary bees" which seems not to make sense because there are a bunch of them:

http://www.insectpix.net/solitary_bees_gallery.htm

But that's what they look like, especially the Colletes species on that page. And I have seen what looks like the wool cardner bee too.

Good news if this is anything close to what I have, is that they arent really dangerous and have a wimpy sting that they dont usually bother to use!

Honestly I dont get a bad feeling about them, as my little 1 year old garden helper gets close, I try to get her attention elsewhere (um that's easy!) but I dont freak.

Im hoping as I get things planted and start watering that this wont be an ideal spot for them anymore.

NOTE: This is the one thing that makes me a little worried about a hive...remember I said on the first day there were just 3 bees? 2 were brown but one was blackish greenish. Maybe a higher-up in the bee ranks, KWIM?

Ill keep you posted on their activity today!!

Karen

Thank you Weezie! My little one just fell asleep (wow!) so Im going to go try to get a picture. They all returned right at 9am when the sun hit the bed!!

www.photobucket.com

I hope this works this time...

Hey All,

First, let me say thank you Weezie for sending me a PM about this thread. I have been very busy in my garden, flower beds, yard, and with my honeybees lately. So busy that it has made it hard to get any time for anything else!!

Karen, you have a bee there that I've never seen before! But after looking at the pics of them, I do know some about what they are not. They are not any kind of hornet, bumble bee, wasp, dirt dauber, or anything like that. They are also not any kind of honeybee that I am familiar with.

The bees that I am most familiar with are honeybees.... Italians, Russians, Germans, and Africanized. And before anyone freaks out about the "Killer" bees (the Africanized bees), let me just say that they are not in PA!

Knowing bee nature and habit, I would say that they may have built a nest in your garden. The nest may have existed before you disturbed the dirt and had a different entrance. By disturbing the dirt, you may have unwittingly created a new opening to the nest. If you just barely disturbed the nest and the opening was immediately recovered with dirt, it would explain why you only saw one or two bees at first. Most likely they were either bees that escaped through the temporary opening or bees that were in the nest, knew about the disturbance, and came through the original entrance to check out what was going on. I hope that made sense!

Most bees don't fly unless the temps are above 50*F and they usually don't start flying until the sun hits the entrance to their hive/nest. If the nest is in the ground, that would explain your not having seen any of them when the morning was cool, yet they appeared when the sun hit the spot where they are.

In your area you should have a County Agricultural Extention Agent. You should be able to call him/her, describe the bees and find out what they are. The agent will probably also have suggestions as to the best way of handling them.

If you find out what kind of bees they are, I hope you will share the information with us. I'd sure like to know what they are!!

Good luck and bee good!

Robert

By the way.... do make sure to keep the little one away from them. Contrary to popular belief, a couple of stings from flying insects are very rarely lethal. Most of the time it is just a very painful and unpleasant experience! However, in young children and the elderly, stings can cause more adverse reactions such as dificulty breathing, heart palpations, and excessive swelling. Best not to take a chance with a little one!!

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Ive been trying hard to figure out exactly what they are up to. Id say they are somewhat tunneling, but not really making any noticable progress. That's why Im leaning toward thinking that they are carrying something away. Also, they dont seem to be bothered by my presence, they are not acting defensive.

Your point about the sap is VERY interesting!!! This is an area Ive been expanding and I have a huge maple in the yard with tons of roots Im hacking through. Last week I noticed a root sticking out that looked wet. Next day it was still wet and I realized, it's dripping sap! But the bees arent really hanging in that area...

Richard: THANKS for all the info! Im putting together the pieces trying to figure out if I did disturb a nest. The area the bees are favoring right now used to be the edge of my garden, and I had wood landscaping ties right there. I expanded about 4 feet from there, and when I took the wood out, there was a mysterious hole underneath, and I realize now that is the exact spot they have been hanging out!!! Could that have been an entrance?? But that was weeks ago. It was just last week I finished up the edges of the new plot and started digging deep for the carrot area, and then Mr and Mrs Buzzy first made their appearance.

I did dig up alot of clay when I got a foot down, perhaps it's prime nest material??

Well, Ill have to see if I do have a County Agricultural Extention Agent. Glad my digital takes such good macro shots!

And thanks for the concern over my wee one. Ive taught her to pick up worms, say hi, and put them back in the dirt, but I dont want her getting too friendly with stingy bees! (bumble bees are ok though )

Ill keep you all posted! Thanks again!

Karen

LOL I thought it would be a good idea to water the area throughly to drive them away...... That went well!

I'll bet their nest entrance was under that tie. It doesn't sound like they're going for the roots, but if they're maple roots, and you leave some exposed to drip, I'll bet other critters, maybe even wasps, may start gathering it!
Keep us posted on this, it's a fascinating topic!

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Dave
Even my growlights are getting restless!

I wanted to give you an update! 9:45 am and no bees to be found!!

(not that I dont appreciate the wonderful job they do, just not in such great numbers right in the middle of my lit'l garden!)

Yesterday I think I determined that they were in fact harvesting the dirt to use elsewhere. Id focus on one bee at a time, and watched them nibble the surface, and eventually take off with what looked like a mouth full.

So what I did was cover the area they most favored (the spot I soaked, trying to make them go away! Which they REALLY appreciated ) with black plastic mulch. The rest of the garden has started to get pretty dry.

Today, no bees! Honestly, I hope that they got enough of what they needed to build a lovely home somewhere a little further away.

Karen