Digger Bee

Facts about Digger Bees, "Scientific name for digger bee is Anthophorini". The digger bees are robust, fast-flying bees that make their nest on the ground. This kind of bee are common all over the world. In US and Canada alone there exists over 900 species of the digger bee. They are also known as long-horned bees. Digger bees belong to family Apidae, and most species belong in genera Anthophora and Amegilla. Scientific name for Bee (Hymenoptera) means -membranous wings- this large variety of insects have four transparent wings and the females typically have a sting. includes ants, bees, wasps, horntails, and sawflies.

Physical Description of Digger Bees

Generally, the Digger Bees are large and robust in size as they can measure up to 1 1/8 inches (3 cm) in length. The Digger Bee are very hairy and have a protruding face. The apical portion of its wings is studded with microscopic papillae. Digger Bees are often banded at the abdomen. Normally, bees with metallic blue bands are most common. Their wings appear disproportionately short as compared to other bees. They have a high-pitched whine as they feed on the flowers. The male Digger Bees have yellow or pale white facial markings.

Digger Bees Behavior/Characteristic

Digger bees mostly prefer to nest on the ground, and like to line the brood cells with a wax-like secretion. In some, the female bees will construct a turret; this is a chimney-like extension that provides entrance to the nest. Other species of digger bees prefer to nest in the wood and some are parasitic and will inhabit nests of other bees rather than construct their own nests.

The Digger Bees are non-aggressive insects that will not sting unless provoked may being handled in a way that it feels trapped. Even though, its sting is believed to be milder than that of the honey bee or yellow jacket. The Male digger bee does not sting at all.

The male Digger Bee like go over the site of the nests in search of a chance to mate. During the night time they perch in shrubbery in a far distance from the site. Digger Bees are neither involved in provision of food for the young, nor does it aide in the construction of the nest.

The digger bees have very interesting nesting behavior. In some species the male bees will be seen cruising the nest area and they can even detect the females presence in the ground before emerging to the surface and they go on to dig the hole and await the female. There are three types of bees in the bee hive, a Drone, Worker and the Queen. A worker bee will die if she uses her stinger.

The hind legs of the Digger Beess carry pollen in them and it is called a pollen baskets. Pollen is the protein for which the baby bee needs to grow.
A Digger Bees has two stomachs, the first stomach is for eating and the other stomach is specially designed for storing nectar collected from flowers and water, for making it possible to carry it back to the hive.

Digger Bees fall in the classification of insects with six legs. Bees have five eyes; three tiny ocelli eyes and two compound eyes.
The Digger Beess have four stages of life, Eggs, Larvae, Pupae and Full grown Bee.
A honeybee can fly 15 mph (24 km/ph). Its wings beat 190 times per second or 11,400 beats per minute.

The digger bees are considered to be very helpful in pollination. There exists a species of the digger bee that is known as southeastern blueberry bee. This bee has specialized in collecting the pollen of blueberry plant. It is believed to be a better pollinator as compared to the bumblebee or the honey bee

Digger Bees Habitat

The digger bees are described to be very selective when it comes to their habitat. As this type of bee make their nest on the ground, is habitat will depend on features such as the slope of the ground, the soil type and its drainage. They choose a habitat with average vegetation to provide them with their food from plant’s flowers.

Most of the digger bees make nests on the woods, ground, or in banks. There are also another type that are parasitic. "Fear of bees apiphobia".