Do bare soil landscapes encourage ground nesting bees?

Most bee species are ground-nesters, yet knowledge on this vast group remains sparse when compared to their better-known cousins, honeybees and bumblebees. Whilst evidence on the effectiveness of ground-nesting bee species as crop pollinators is growing, limited information exists regarding their nesting habits and preferences.

In this study, artificially prepared plots of bare soil were used where nine different soil properties were investigated to determine the preferred soil properties of the attracted species. Eleven ground-nesting bee species (7 Andrena, 3 Lasioglossum and 1 Halictus) were recorded from the study plots.

The findings of this study suggest that compaction, hydraulic conductivity and the soil textures, sandy loam and sandy clay loam, being the soil properties that play a significant role in the nesting of the recorded species. Building a greater understanding of their nesting ecology will allow better management of their populations, resulting in enhancement of pollination services in agriculture.