Native Bees of Minnesota
Brenda Ortmann, Anoka County Master Gardener Intern
Which species comes to mind when you think about bees? I bet it is either a bumblebee or a honeybee. However those species make up less than 2% of Minnesota’s native bees. If we are being technical, honeybees are not truly native to this continent. The Minnesota DNR did a biological survey between July 2014 and July 2016 and found that our state is home to nearly 400 bee species. We can find all kinds of bees buzzing around us here in Minnesota from about mid-April until mid-October each year.
The European honeybee ( Apis mellifera) may not have originated here but it is fully incorporated into our Minnesota summers. Our local agriculture depends heavily on pollination from honeybees as they are our honey and wax producers. Honeybees are social bees who live in above-ground colonies where every bee has a specific job to do. These are the bees that are often kept commercially or by hobbyists in “bee boxes” or supers.
Wild bees or non-honeybees make up most neighborly pollinators. Bumblebees ( Bombus spp.) fall in this category and we are home to about 20 distinct species, eight of which the Minnesota DNR believes to be in decline. Reasons for decline include herbicide and pesticide use, as well as invasive plants overtaking their native pollen sources. Like honeybees, bumblebees are also social, but they typically nest underground in pre-existing cavities.
Another familiar local bee is the carpenter bee ( Ceratina spp.) which looks like a bumblebee but appears less fuzzy. Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, carpenter bees are not social but live solitary lives. If you notice sawdust near an almost perfectly drilled hole in your wood deck, you probably have a female carpenter bee nearby. Females bore into wood to lay their eggs.
Mason bees ( Osmia spp.) are also solitary bees and are known for laying their eggs in hollow tubes and blocking the ends with mud, like a mason. These bees are one of the species that will utilize the manufactured bee houses you see for sale in stores and online. Their bodies are metallic blue and they are smaller than honeybees.
Leafcutter bees ( Megachile spp.) are like mason bees, laying their eggs in hollow tubes, but instead of blocking the ends with mud, they block with pieces of leaves. They are also solitary and are about the size of a honeybee.
Lesser recognized but very colorful, Minnesota bees include yellow-faced bees ( Hylaeus spp.) and green sweat bees (A ugochlora pura). Yellow-faced bees are very small, hairless and resemble wasps. They are solitary bees, often found foraging in early spring. Green sweat bees can be identified by their beautiful iridescent greenish to golden copper colored bodies. Sweat bees are also solitary bees. Females lay eggs in an underground nest composed of mud and other debris; they also hibernate over winter.
This is only a small helping of the bee species throughout our state, but I highly encourage you to pay attention and appreciate the diversity of buzzing pollinating friends you encounter outside.
The following are some additional resources to learn more about Minnesota's native bees: