Different Types of Bees in Northeast Florida
The state of Florida is home to 315 species of bees. About 29 of those species are only found in Florida. Unlike honeybees, the bees discussed in this article are native to Florida while honeybees were brought over from a different country. Keep reading to discover just a few of the bees that you may find in northeast Florida.
Sweat Bees
Over 60 species of sweat bees live in Florida. These bees mostly nest in the ground and are active all year round. On a hot day, they will seek out humans that are hot and overheated to lap up their sweat. They use the sweat for its salt and protein sources and feed it to their young. If you would like to attract this sort of bee to your garden, plant wildflowers and leave some of your soil untilled so that they can nest there.
Mining Bees
This species also lives underground. In fact, they build underground tunnels in which they also place their nest. A community of these bees can contain thousands of tunnels. Yet, each nest is unique to those who live there. These species are active about four to six weeks out of the year, in which they build their nest, lay eggs and collect food for the winter. They are non-aggressive and rarely sting.
Leafcutter Bees
These bees are medium-sized and are black with white hair. They are known for the perfectly round holes that they eat in leaves. Although this may seem harmful to plants, the Leafcutters rarely affect the health of the plant. The resources that these bees collect are used to protect their nests from moisture. They are wonderful pollinators and are essential to our ecosystem.
Mason or Orchard Bees
These bees are referred to as Mason bees due to their nests, as they tend to find hollowed structures to build in such as hollow stems, pinecones or even cracks within a rock. They typically line their nests with mud or chewed up materials. They are very important to the ecosystem as they pollinate many orchard crops such as cherries, apples, plums and almonds.
While bees are very important to the pollination process, you don’t want bees encroaching on your home, especially if you or your loved ones are allergic. Protect your home from bees by calling a pest control professional to help you determine a safe way to eliminate them. Contact Orange Environmental Services today!