Colder temperatures make us all feel the need for cozy winter quarters–even if you’re a bee! And the beautiful bicolored sweat bee (Agapostemon virescens) is no exception.
This easily recognizable bee sports a vibrant green metallic head and thorax, set off by a contrasting striped abdomen (black and yellow for males, or black and white for the ladies).This member of the sweat bee family is active from April through November in Pennsylvania. They’re a solitary and ground-nesting species, and their nests are often surrounded by a small mound of earth (tumulus) similar to an anthill. During the fall, females mate and overwinter in these cozy shelters. In the spring, they’ll emerge and begin laying eggs and provisioning the nest with pollen and nectar.
You can help these lovely ladies by providing bare, well-drained, chemical-free ground for nesting sites and plenty of food–favorite sources include coneflower, asters and goldenrod.
Photo: Masa Nomura
