What’s Buzzin’ in Your Backyard

When most people think of bees, they picture honey bees and bumblebees living in hives or colonies. But in reality—especially here in North America, where we have around 4,000 species of native bees—most of them are solitary. And they’re not alone. Wasps, too, play important roles in our gardens and often go unnoticed or misunderstood.

⸻

Solitary vs. Social Bees

Honey bees and bumblebees are social bees. They live in colonies, share tasks like caring for young and defending the nest, and work as a team. As with other social insects—including some species of wasps—they will defend their colony if threatened. These bees are important pollinators, especially in agricultural systems, but they represent only a small fraction of the pollinators in our ecosystem.

Over 90% of bees are solitary. That means each female bee builds her own nest, gathers pollen and nectar, and raises her young all on her own—no hive, no queen, no worker bees.

Solitary bees include familiar and native species like mason bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, resin bees, and mining bees. Some live underground in sandy or loose soil, while others nest in hollow stems, wood tunnels, or small cavities.

⸻

Gentle, Non-Aggressive, and Not Looking to Sting

One of the most important things to know about solitary bees is how gentle and non-aggressive they are.
• Most solitary bees don’t sting, and even if they can, it’s only in extreme self-defense.
• Solitary bees have no colony to protect, so they have no reason to be aggressive.

They’re far too busy gathering pollen and nectar to worry about humans. You can observe them up close without fear—they’re some of the gentlest creatures in your garden.

⸻

Where Do Solitary Bees Live?
• Ground-nesting bees like mining bees and sweat bees burrow into bare patches of soil, sandy areas, or grassy slopes.
• Cavity-nesting bees like mason, leafcutter, resin, and masked bees use hollow plant stems, beetle tunnels, or bee hotels. These bees do not create their own cavities; they find and use existing holes or tunnels.
• Carpenter bees, while often misunderstood, are solitary pollinators too. They carve nests in wood and perform a special type of pollination called buzz pollination, where they vibrate flowers by rapidly using their flight muscles to release pollen that honey bees cannot access. This makes carpenter bees essential pollinators for certain plants, like tomatoes and eggplants.

⸻

Why Solitary Bees Matter

Solitary bees may not make honey, but they are incredibly important pollinators. Many are specialists, meaning they pollinate specific native plants that other bees ignore. They’re active in cooler weather, some fly earlier or later in the season than honey bees, and they tend to be more efficient pollinators per visit.

Because many solitary bees have a tiny foraging range—sometimes just a few hundred feet—your backyard can truly be their oasis. A few native flowers and safe nesting spots could support an entire population.

⸻

Bees and Wasps: Close Cousins, Different Roles

While bees and wasps might look similar and share some behaviors, they actually belong to different insect families. Bees evolved from wasp ancestors millions of years ago, adapting over time to specialize in pollination and feeding on nectar and pollen. Wasps, on the other hand, tend to be predators or scavengers, hunting other insects or feeding on different foods.

⸻

Wasps: Helpful Garden Allies

Not all wasps are aggressive picnic crashers. Many are solitary and beneficial garden allies. They help naturally control pests like aphids, caterpillars, and flies. Some even visit flowers and contribute a little pollination on the side.

Like bees, wasps can be social or solitary. The social species (like yellowjackets and paper wasps) will defend their nests if threatened—but solitary wasps, like mud daubers and grass-carrying wasps, are harmless to people and a huge asset to your garden.

⸻

How You Can Help
• Leave bare patches of soil for ground-nesting bees.
• Avoid pesticides, even organic ones—they can still harm pollinators and beneficial insects.
• Plant native flowers that bloom from early spring through fall.
• Install bee hotels with removable tubes that can be cleaned or replaced each year.
• Support carpenter bees and wasps.

⸻

Hosting Solitary Bees: Be a Good Innkeeper

If you install a bee hotel or nesting box, remember: it’s not “set it and forget it.” These gentle guests need a clean, safe space to thrive.
• Use tubes that can be replaced yearly to prevent disease and parasites.
• Avoid permanently drilled blocks that trap moisture and pests.
• Place hotels in a sunny, dry spot, sheltered from wind and rain.
• Bring boxes to a sheltered place in the winter, like an unheated garage or shed to protect developing bees. It is important to mimic the temperature outside, so the bees do not emerge too early.

Being a solitary bee innkeeper isn’t just helpful—it’s deeply rewarding. You get to witness nature up close: watch leafcutter bees carry perfect green circles into their nests, or see a mason bee seal off a tube with mud. There’s something magical about knowing you’re giving these quiet pollinators a home—and in return, they help your garden thrive.

⸻

A Buzz Worth Spreading

As a Master Beekeeper and Certified Pollinator Steward, I advocate for all pollinators—not just the ones that live in hives. Together with my mom, Karen, we run Backyard Buzz, a mother-daughter small business rooted right here in Bucks County. Through education, native habitat creation, and pollinator-inspired art, we help people reconnect with the wild beauty in their own backyards—and discover just how rewarding it is to care for these often-overlooked garden guests.

So next time you’re in your garden…
Take a closer look—and ask yourself, what’s buzzin’ in your backyard?