Maryland Grows

Early spring, you might notice curious little mounds of finely textured soil dotting your lawn or garden beds. If you look closer, you may even catch a tiny bee poking its head out of a hole like a groundhog (although one that doesn’t eat your plants) on the first day of spring. Don’t be alarmed and don’t stomp them out. They’re native ground-nesting bees, and if you’re lucky, they might be the charming, adorable, and important cellophane bees.

Meet the cellophane bee

Cellophane bees (Colletes sp.) are solitary, ground-nesting native bees that emerge in early spring. They are generalist pollinators, visiting a wide variety of plants, including early blooming trees, native wildflowers, and even some fruits and vegetables.. They’re medium-sized bees with a somewhat fuzzy appearance and are often mistaken for honey bees, though they lack the social structure and communal hive of honey bees.

What makes cellophane bees stand out among other bees is their unique nesting behavior. Female cellophane bees dig slender vertical tunnels into well-drained or sandy soil, creating brood cells lined with a natural waterproof secretion. This lining hardens into a thin, clear layer that looks and functions like cellophane, hence its name. It helps protect developing larvae from moisture and microbial threats.

Now, why all the buzzing around?

Cellophane bees are solitary, meaning each female builds and provisions her own nest. However, individuals may choose the same area, leading to what looks like a large colony. This clustering behavior can surprise homeowners who suddenly see dozens of small holes in one relatively small patch of soil. While it may seem like they are swarming, these bees are not defending a hive, so they have no reason to sting unless directly handled or severely threatened, and even then, only the females can sting, and they are typically extremely docile. Because they tend to stay close to their nesting sites, they can be incredibly effective at pollinating your immediate landscape. These bees are also a reminder that supporting pollinators isn’t just about planting flowers. It’s also about providing habitat for them, and in this case, a patch of sandy soil.

Most activity happens over a brief few weeks in the spring. Once the females have mated, dug their tunnels, and stocked the brood cells with pollen and nectar, they seal them up and die off, leaving the next generation to develop underground until the following year. By early summer, all visible signs of their presence have vanished and moved underground where the larvae develop, until next spring’s return.

Live and let buzz

Let the bees live, but also support their habitat:

• Leave some bare or lightly vegetated ground in sunny, undisturbed areas, grassy yards, or pathways. Over-mulching or frequent tilling can destroy nesting sites.
• Avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides when pollinators are active.
• Plant native early bloomers to provide nectar and pollen when cellophane bees emerge.
• Resist the urge to mow or disturb nesting areas for a few weeks during peak activity (typically March through May). Mowing can destroy nesting sites and cause tunnels to collapse.
• Educate neighbors and fellow gardeners about these beneficial bees, so they are not confused with infestations and treated as such.

 So, if you catch sight of a tiny bee carefully peaking its head out of a little dirt tunnel in your yard this season, take a moment to appreciate it. That bee is one of Maryland’s native pollinators, doing its part to keep your garden and the larger ecosystem buzzing with life.

Written by: Hayden Schug, AgFS Educator and Julia Rycyna, Home Horticulture Educator, both with UME, Charles County. Photo credits: Hayden Schug. Article previously published in the University of Maryland Extension Charles County Connection newsletter.