It might seem peculiar to see bees at the beach. But the bumblebeemimic digger bee (Anthophora bomboides stanfordiana) makes its home at beaches in Northern California and Oregon. Once they’ve mated, the females spend the spring digging their nests into sandy cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

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They find a nearby source of water like a stream and slurp water into a pouch in their abdomen called a crop. They can make 80 daily trips back and forth from the stream to a cliff onto which they spray the water to soften it up. This allows them to dig a series of holes into which they lay their eggs.

Do many bees nest in the ground?
Yes. About 70% of the world’s bee species nest underground.

Where else do bees make their nests?
Mason bees, such as blue orchard bees, make their nests inside narrow cavities – for example, hollow twigs. And carpenter bees dig their nests in wood.

Why do bees mimic other bees?
The bumblebeemimic digger bees featured in this episode don’t sting. But they resemble bumblebees like the yellowfaced bumblebee (Bombus vosnesenskii), which does sting. This resemblance helps the bumblebeemimic scare away predators.

+ Find a transcript on KQED Science:
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