Hey everyone! I recently moved to the Midwest (in Zone 6B) and bought a house this past winter. I was warned by a neighbor that I'd be seeing a lot of bees in the spring, but I was taken aback by the sheer number of them! Once temperatures hit 50°, my lawn seems to be swarming with hundreds of ground-nesting bees. They don't appear aggressive since I can walk right by them without an issue, but I'm curious about what I should do next.
I'd love to get some advice on a few things:
1. I built several raised garden beds in the area where the bees are nesting. How long will they be around, and will they cause any trouble for my gardening?
2. Are the bees going to try to nest in my garden beds where I plan to grow cut flowers and some native plants? I'm worried about stumbling upon a hidden nest while I'm digging for tubers or planting seeds.
3. I want to garden with my 8-month-old daughter, but is it safe for her to be near the bees? Do any parents have tips on how to navigate this?
4. I've raised monarch butterflies in the past and want to do the same here. Will these ground-nesting bees interfere with the butterflies? In Florida, I dealt with wasps but not much with honey bees. How might these sweat bees act towards them?
3 Answers
Most bees are harmless unless provoked. I work in my garden all summer surrounded by different kinds of bees and have never had a problem. The only time I’ve encountered aggression was with yellow jackets late in the season when they get a bit frantic, but they’re wasps, not bees. Just keep an eye out and you should be good!
I often have tons of bees buzzing around when I'm gardening too, and I’ve never gotten stung. I just keep my distance and work around them, and they do the same with me! So, I think you’ll be fine as long as you’re careful.
Yes, you can definitely coexist with the bees as long as they’re not wasps! They’re typically quite docile, and if you leave them be, they’ll ignore you too. Just keep an eye on your daughter; if she’s not careful around them, it might be best to keep her away for now. They shouldn’t bother your monarch butterflies—there shouldn’t be any issues there if you’re mindful.
That’s a good point! I’ll definitely keep an eye out for yellow jackets especially when the season gets late.