Last week we invited pollinator specialist, Victor DeMasi to come and identify our large aggregation of ground-nesting bees at Hicks Meadow Preserve. The bees were observed swarming at ground level and digging holes mid-field near the cedar trees. After netting several specimens, Victor identified them as cellophane bees.
Cellophane bees (Colletes inaequalis) are a group of ground-nesting bees native to North America. They emerge earlier in the spring than other bee species and are important pollinators of red maple, willow, and apple trees, as well as many early-blooming perennials.
Cellophane bees do not live in hives or produce honey. The females excavate underground tunnels and lay 7-8 eggs in individual chambers. They collect pollen to provision their nest and use glandular secretions to create a cellophane-like waterproof barrier. Then they seal up the nest and leave. The eggs hatch into larvae and are sustained by the stashed pollen through the winter. They emerge as adults from their underground chambers the following spring.
The cellophane bees came out at Hicks in mid-March and will be active for another few weeks. The females live longer than the males, who die soon after mating. These bees are not aggressive and rarely sting. In fact, the males don’t even have stingers.
Hicks Meadow is a welcoming pesticide-free habitat for ground-nesting bees. The sunny location provides enough warmth for the bees to be active early in the season. The soil is loose and dry, and the vegetation is not tightly packed with tangled roots, which would inhibit the bees from tunneling. Best of all, this meadow is protected open space and will remain that way for generations to come.
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