what is the difference between yellow jackets, "ground bees" and ground nesting bees?

I often hear people tell me about "ground bees" they have in their yards. Sometimes they are talking about ground nesting native bees, other times they are talking about yellow jacket wasps. This video discusses the differences between these insects.

[@TammyMorris-eb8cw]

I got stung by about 15 Yellowjackets today while rescuing 2 kittens … those bastards are evil & sneaky and it still hurts hours later!! However it was worth it ❤️

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

Thank you for this. I just got stung while weed trimming. As soon as I stopped the trimmer (battery powered) the aggression stopped. Looked like they were all coming from the same small area, kind of looked like honey bees, but smaller. The stinger was not left behind so I knew they weren't honey bees. I'll just leave them alone.

[@ChompandWings]

Wow cool facts! I am walking the Florida trail and have noticed alot of ground bees. I noticed they were docile. Very cool to learn more about them. Thank you for the video.

[@KINGSENSA97]

Good info to know! I wont be calling yellow jackets ground bees anymore

[@taylornovak4016]

This was a great video. Thanks for posting.

[@thommeinert9072]

Thanks! Great info! Just noticed I have hundreds of these little mounds , many within close proximity to each other. I want to make sure so exterminators will evaluate. Thanks again.

[@drinny26]

I’m so glad I watched this. I found several small holes in my yard. The cute furry black and yellow bees fly in and out. I thought a huge hive was underground. I’m glad to know it’s just one bee per hole.

[@leahburdick2846]

Aren’t those bumble bees?

[@drinny26]

@@leahburdick2846 yes. I figured that out. Lol they don’t sting.

[@fallout_patty]

A few yellow jackets gave me a love tap earlier this week. Needless to say I did not like the foreplay 😅😪

[@rachaelangel4334]

Same lol I got it 3 times at once 😅

[@fallout_patty]

@@rachaelangel4334 *Ouch* 🙄🙄😳😳

[@jessicalackey8414]

thank you for the information. great presentation.

[@mindyr7302]

Trying to identify the bees (and beautiful hive) I found conveniently living in the cover to my grill! Found your video - great info Thanks!

[@TSPhotoAtlanta]

I was bitten/stung by what must have been a YJ wasp. It got me on the lower shoulder blade. That was > 20 years ago. I had a localized reaction. It took a long time to subside; it still itches! And yes, I was mowing. These gals or others like them moved their nest to a few boards I had in a rack near the back door, filling in between some of the boards. They were coming and going constantly, I watched them over time through a kitchen window. After a month or so they became very aggressive and territorial and it became a challenge to use the door. Pro's came and it was adiós muchachas. Had to scrape the wood clean. Thanks for the film.

[@Alpha_7227]

Thanks so much for this video. Unfortunately the bees, which may be the docile ones you're talking about are making a nest right where workmen are going to construct a new retaining wall, otherwise I would happily let them do their thing. Live and Let live I say. They are actually fun to watch. I noticed that the pest exterminator wasn't being attacked at all which shows they were the docile kind. I always thought bees made nests in trees, learn something everyday. Great explanation, Cheers.

[@kurulNan]

Thanks for the video!

[@s.h.9694]

Thank you! Super helpful!

[@lizbec1085]

Very helpful. Our bees are so docile and dull in color. No yellow on them, although they are shaped like a bee.

[@EddieJazzFan]

I hate yellowjackets. I got stung last summer on my hand and in 2 hours my hand almost looked like I had a baseball glove on.

[@elizaalmaguer6189]

An uncle has a ranch with a large riding corral, there have been years in which if you walk out you notice a lot of very loud buzzing. Honestly, I wasn't sure if they were wasps or bees since some look similar I just know they are very mellow, use small individual nests, and have a pattern similar to that of the yellow jacket. I flat out go and crouch down to see them for a while if I notice nesting sites (not hard to figure out with all the buzzing)

[@vxrtuality]

I like Yellowjackets

[@lolalaalaadawolfyeet2142]

On the ball about the difference in yellowjackets, And true ground bees

[@ILjobber1]

Each year on my patio I get wasps that build a nest . They dive down at meand I do not like it. what can I do to prevent them building each year. Plus I raise mason bees and leafcutters.

[@Mohlianum]

Is it usual for ground bees and wasps to nest in September in south of England? It is happening on my small grass area at the moment, one small entrance and there are a lot flying around. It is hard to see the colour as they are moving so fast . Will see if I can get a clip of them

[@melizmatea]

HI! Thank you for this! I rent my apt. and in the yard there is a spot where the wood fence has rotted away at the bottom. On my side is concrete, but on the other side it is dirt covered by a rock. I saw a couple of bees come out from under there. I thought it was weird that I only saw two, but I was worried because that fence needs to be replaced and god knows apartment owners where I live could care less about things like killing bees, and I didn't want that to happen! I was getting ready to argue with them about dealing with them properly! But after watching this I think these must be ground bees. At the beginning of spring I used to see one bee at a time kind of buzzing around my patio in that area and I thought that was weird, but now it makes sense. Am I correct in thinking that if my landlords EVER replace that fence - which will hopefully be sometime between the end of August and winter - those bees will already be gone and they won't be hurt? It has also gotten wet over there because the drainpipe sprung a leak. (My landlords have to get their act together! ha) Thank you! I don't want to harm the little guys!

[@fiammetta5]

I've noticed a large (silver dollar or larger) hole in my yard and have been wondering for awhile what might be living down there. Thought it might be a snake or some small mammal. However, today I saw a solitary small yellow creature that looks like a bee though could be a yellow jacket wasp. But there is no swarm and I've only seen the one solitary yellow and small winged creature. What might this be? It doesn't look like I can attach a photo to this otherwise I would.

[@lupe8249]

A question about a yellow jacket or ground nesting bees. While doing the lawn mower thing and coming upon a mulch/ tree area i was stung atleast 3 times . Did not really want to do away with these bees but wasn`t sure because of the noises from the lawn mower if it was wise to get rid of the little guys ? The bees also tried to sting an owner dog also , Would appreciate any help . Its july and wasn`t sure how long these nest settle in the mulch ?

[@Soap644]

Came here after I just got stung I think I got stung by a yellow jacket

[@crazyDIYguy]

There was a big swarm of bees when I was just scooping dirt in the back field on the tractor today, even though I was 15 ft away I didn't get attacked, so I imagine sweat bees and not yellow jackets. I don't have the balls to go look real close though.😄

[@Strawberryfields28]

Ugh I'm trying to figure out what kind of bees are in the corner of my shed.. the opening is in the ground.. but it's first made out of a hole in the grass.. the grass is literally bent around in a circle to make a hole. I'm afraid to get close enough to see lol

[@jeffbrown9214]

How do I tell the difference between ground bee nests and mole cricket mounds?

[@theMochaFiend]

Hello! I have a very active, very big nest of bees in my yard that on any other occasion, I would have bet was a yellowjacket nest. I brought the camera out there to get some stills from video, and there is no question: these are bees, not yellowjackets. But the nest is massive and busy, so I was wondering if I could send you a photo or video for your opinion. Thank you!

[@bethanyem]

Thanks for this. I just went out my front door and heard a loud buzzing. Bees flying about. Traced their path and found a pretty large hole near steps. They really look like bees to me, not wasps. But from researching a bit I’m confused because there are quite a few entering and leaving. I want to leave them if they are harmless. But they are def in a bad place.

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

If there are several entering and exiting and the nest entrance is large they might be wasps, unless they are bumble bees which are really fuzzy

[@blastofftolearningpress6092]

I'm having this issue, right above my front door (in the porch overhang). They're flying in and out all day long and I can't figure out if they're bees or yellow jackets (too fast to see if fuzzy). I even put lunch meat on the porch to see if they go for it so I'll know. If yellow jackets, I have some spray for them. If bees, then I think I need bee removal specialists.

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

@@blastofftolearningpress6092 if they look yellow and black, they are probably yellow jackets, if they look more orangish brown they might be honey bees.

[@mikejake6360]

Last night I stomped on what I thought was a ground hog hole and got lit up by yellow jackets. Going back tonight to destroy it

[@eileensongs]

They could be carpenter bees

[@Aint1S]

That wouldn't include the cow ant would it?! Those do pack a punch, but I think they're a solitary wasp.

[@chadergeist]

There is a nest of what looks like mini white jackets instead of yellow jackets flying in and out of the base of a thin shrub outside. My dad says that they are ground bees but i only know of honey, bumble and sweat bees. These look like (as i already stated) mini white jackets. My dad was squirting them with vinegar water and we where very close and we didn't get stung. He said that the queen is the only one that stings and the others don't sting. I can't find any thing on the internet to help pin point what we have. I even wonder if i should do a video with my Sony HD Handycam and post it on KZbin.

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

if there are multiple individuals going in and out of the hole, it is probably not a bee, but probably some kind of wasp. Some yellow jackets can look kind of white. the workers and the queen can all sting. if they are all going into different holes, they could be ground nesting bees, which really are not a threat to people because they are pretty docile.

[@hoogreg]

We have some mining bees living under our front walk. They're very docile, if not slow. You can walk right up to them before they fly away. In the spring, when it's cold out, I've picked them up for a photo. Our neighbour offered to come over with some Raid to get rid of them, which is stupid - why would you do that?

[@felix64able]

Thank you very informative, I have a question can these bees destroy plants?because my tomato plants died about a week after they showd up same fore my avocado tree and there are multiple small holes around my tree.

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

I don’t think I have ever heard of ground nesting bees harming plants, their jaws aren’t strong enough to cut through plant roots and generally they dig their underground homes around any obstacles like roots, it’s more likely that the small holes came from some other insects, but the bees nests generally do not hurt plants

[@felix64able]

@@TheBeesInYourBackyard thank you for your response, really appreciate it.

[@ChristaFree]

Yellow jackets that live in the ground are aggressive. I've gotten stung by a group of them twice in my life. 47 stings the first time and 63 the next. I got sick after the 63 stings. If any neighbors were watching they got a free show. I was stripping my clothes off on the way running to the house. They were all in my clothes. Vicious creatures

[@melodycosme3001]

Hello! I was wondering what the name for the bees that pop up around 2:40 would be? We just had some bees which look pretty similar to these and are making similar cylinderical tubes pop up near our house and I've been trying to identify them but they're so fast and I can't get a good look at them. Thank you!

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

They are probably bees in the genus Diadasia, people sometimes call them “chimney bees”

[@southerncomfort971]

i live in central Ontario Canada, last summer i had a large paper nest at the peak of our house under the roof and a Blue Jay torn it apart in the fall. Thank you Blue Jay. This year i have a raised Hosta Bed with tree logs holding the soil back and i saw yellow (pests) not sure what they are? going in and out all season long. As the weather turns colder they have slowed down but i still see the occasional one. I am wondering what will happen during the winter to the nest? do I need to remove it, will it doe on its own ? will they or others re use it? if it wasnt so close to the deck and entrance i would leave it be. But being in the garden like this it is hard to leave it alone.

[@Swenson1970]

The nest will die out naturally in mid to late autumn. These stinging insects do not thrive in cold weather; only the young, fertile queens can overwinter.

[@southerncomfort971]

@@Swenson1970 thank you for replying, I have since placed a few traps around, to keep the numbers down. One thing I was told is if you place your traps early in spring you get the queen before she can make a nest and harvest her army. Tried it last spring and saw the numbers drop drastically. Thanks for sharing

[@janking3355]

How do you keep the yellow jacket wasps out of your yard? Bees are so cute!

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

Depending on how big and deep the nest is you can try dumping a few gallons of water with some dish soap in it down the nest.

[@nataliewoodley-yg1vd]

Hi I am not sure what kind of bees that are outside our house but they are always outside in front our house how can I get rid of them

[@C_am3ron]

I was mowing the lawn and my mom was picking up sticks and she pulled a stick but it was stuck in the ground and then out of no where she was covered in bees that looked similar to these and they followed her, latched onto her and stung her. Any clue what they were? P.S. I also think they triggered other types of bees too. We have a wasp nest under our porch light not too far from where that stick in the ground was and the wasps starting flying at me and her and chased us towards our front door. Also idk if this helps but we’re in Indiana

[@TammyMorris-eb8cw]

I’m in Indiana and the same thing happened to me too!!

[@bethjenkins338]

Yes we had the mowing the lawn incident!! I believe we have yellow jackets, he got stung 3 times! This nest is by a sidewalk where kids and people walk pets and so forth! How do we get rid of them? We also have cicadia killer wasps.

[@Swenson1970]

Call an exterminator.

[@vincentfoley1238]

I got stung yesterday evening from one and it in my vein the stinger is how do I. Get it out anyone know let me know

[@Dra6nheart]

I live in Kentucky and have been noticed more of an almost all yellow, what I think is wasp, that is very small showing up a lot more. They could be about 1/2 inch and pretty slender. I did find a spot between two bricks that separated a little on the side of the house they look like quite a few have been going in an out. Fortunately it doesn’t look like a huge hive amount going in and out. Any idea what kind they might be?

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

if multiple individuals are going in and out it is unlikely to be a bee (most bees are not social). it could be a kind of yellow jacket but it is hard to know without a picture. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[@jeffvanselow3509]

We have some out by the front sidewalk. Very docile but it is a large hole and many going in and out. More yello and black than the orange and black. Put the sprinkler on the hole to drive them out but they just flew around the red sprinkler. Never got aggressive so I am confused as to what they are. Much shorter bodies than the big yellow jackets we get here. Any help?

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

If there’s multiples going in and out of the hole, and they are yellow and black, they are almost certainly yellow jackets of some kind, instead of a sprinkler you could try just turning the hose on and letting it flood the hole

[@davidbuller8627]

We lay people typically do mean ground nesting yellow jackets when we say "ground bees." However, there is still a mystery to me. What we call ground bees are not yellow. And they are very small, less than a half-inch. They are very aggressive, and hundreds must live in the nests we find. The entrance to their nest is rather large. Also, hornet and wasp spray does NOT kill them. Today, two dogs were close to the lawn mower when the "ground bees" swarmed. We found over two hundred stingers on the dogs. One stinger in a human. Is there a commercial product that can get rid of these?

[@Swenson1970]

Ground bees and yellowjackets are not the same. Ground bees are dull in color, solitary, and non-aggressive; yellowjackets are small, bright colored, very aggressive social wasps. It sounds as though the dogs were stung by yellowjackets, not ground bees. If I were you, I would call an exterminator to get rid of them.

[@shebrewsherri1008]

I had an entire nest of bee's in the ground in my back flower bed last summer. I didn't know they were there and stepped into the hole and they didn't do anything except fly around like they were checking me out. I didn't even notice for a while because I was harvesting wild mint. Once I turned around and noticed all the bee's everywhere I quilty left the flower bed. I'm sure it's a honey bee nest because I saw them clearly and I know what a honey bee looks like. I had no idea honey bee's build nests under ground though? I have a lot of roots under there, but I don't think there's enough room for the beehive under my flower bed, and the tree and Bush growing in the area isn't more than 14 years old? Maybe there's some other kind of bee that looks like a honey bee and doesn't seem to mind people stepping in their nests? Crazy I know!

[@lizbec1085]

I have mint all over to deter deer. Do you think there could be a connection between mint and ground nesting bees?

[@KINGSENSA97]

@@lizbec1085 does mint work for you?

[@lizbec1085]

@KINGSENSA, mint works for deer. I haven’t tried yet, but I will.

[@marykinney4764]

No one is going to catch a bee and ask it what kind it is.

[@blake624yahoocom]

Docile haha yeah right i was mowing my lawn today ... and some big ass bumblebees looking guy started chasing me and i got stung twice had to abandon the lawnmower for few hours too slow

[@katherinegavello4672]

How do I get rid of underground bees? I sprayed with Raid three times but they just keep building new nests. I want to be able to use my front steps.

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

Are they bees or wasps?

[@marykinney4764]

How do I get rid of them

[@toddnelson7393]

i am trying to figure out if i have bees or yellow jackets. I have a old flower pot on the ground with debris in it and the flower pot is located in some tall weeds. I was doing some clean up work and notice a lot of active around the flower pot.(by alot i would say 50 or so a minute are flying in and out) I can see the bees or yellow jackets flying into the pot and coming out of it. I suspect there is an under ground nest under the flower pot or they are living in the pot. I could get to 3 or 4 feet without getting stung. They do not seem to be aggressive. I am afraid to get any closer incase they are yellow jackets. I see lots of honey bees in the rest of they yard. The honey bees made a come back the last 2 years. They were down to zero for a long time. I stopped using Ortho type products for the lawn. I don't want to kill them if they are bees and i don't want to get too close to try and identify them. I tried taking a pic , but no luck getting a good pic. I am thinking they might be yellow jacket since its a group of insects living in the ground. I am in NJ if that helps. What are your thoughts.

[@Swenson1970]

You can call DPW for a careful investigation. It does not cost anything and they always wear protective uniforms.

[@toddnelson7393]

Thanks for the reply. I waited for the winter, then removed all the debris while the yellow jacket were dormant. That seem to do the trick. @@Swenson1970

[@debkeyworth8429]

My neighbor just messaged me that we have them on our lot line . They stung her pretty good . Chased her right into her house . I don’t buy the docile bit at all. Not here in Michigan . These bees went after my dog too. Many many stings. I don’t use pesticides, never have . But they have to go .

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

Those sound like yellow jacket wasps to me

[@debkeyworth8429]

@@TheBeesInYourBackyard I agree

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

My point is that ground nesting bees are docile. Yellow jackets, which are wasps not bees, are much more aggressive.

[@tracyfitch6510]

This is a very informative video. Thank you! Unfortunately, though, I am still confused about some bees I see going in & out of one small hole in my yard. There are many going in & out of the one hole (no dirt around it...just grass) & to me they look like very small honey bees. (I know what yellow jackets look like & these appear to be much smaller.) The hole is about as big around as my pinky finger. I put a small wire fence around the area where the hole is (since my dog walked over the hole & ended up running away because they chased him, but I don't think he got stung). When I put the fence there they became very active & were investigating the fence. Since I don't know what they are, I made sure to keep distance after putting the fence there. Any idea what those would be? I don't want to harm them if they are indeed just ground bees. (I am in Wisconsin.) Thanks!

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

I would love to see a picture but I’m guessing they are some kind of wasp because of the size of the nest entrance (the size of your pinky finger) There are some social bees that nest in the ground, but their nest entrance is much smaller than the diameter of a finger

[@tracyfitch6510]

@@TheBeesInYourBackyard Thank you so much for your reply. That is disappointing news that they are probably wasps. Shoot. (Not sure how to get a picture to you of the hole & the bees/wasps to confirm that?) So, any suggestions of what to do if they are wasps? Leave them alone for now & cover the hole when they are no longer active (winter time)? Cover the hole now? (Do they have another hole to get out of elsewhere? I just don't want them coming & going right in that area where my dogs frequently walk past.) Any thoughts you can give are appreciated!

[@starseedenergy996]

Can honeybees go out in winter. I saw bees that look like honeybees in my compost pile. They are definitely not yellow jackets and look too big to be ground nesting bees.

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

Honeybees will often be out any time it’s about 50°F, or so, in the UK, there are some bumblebees that are active all winter, it really depends on your location

[@starseedenergy996]

@@TheBeesInYourBackyard thank you so much. I notice just that. There are beekeepers very near me. Today it was warm so I saw them again. Is there anything I. Can do to help them? Or just keep composting and growing pollinator plants. I am in Pueblo CO USA

[@almohvn33]

HI, I have two.. Someone said they are yellowjackets.. but they are so small. I do not want to kill. Underground. Both nests.. what can I do????

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

Some yellow jackets are pretty small, smaller than honey bees. If there are multiple individuals all going into the same nest entrance they likely are yellow jackets. If you don’t want to kill them you can wait till fall and then burry the nests (the colony dies each winter)

[@almohvn33]

@@TheBeesInYourBackyard HI... Yes, THEY SEEm to go in and out. What do you mean bury the nest???? I want to be sure I am safe too. I have to walk about 6 feet past it to get to my car, is that enough? They are always going in and out. 2-3 in, 2-3 out. Fall, when in fall? I am going to have retaining wall put up there. How late in fall? I am in WVA?

[@almohvn33]

The other nest.. it is gone... someone (RACOON???) dug it out. Cause the hive was outside of under the deck, where they lived. I got stung by four. I thought it was no big deal.. I had no idea they were there and I was planting. I would think I would have KNOWN if it was yellowjacket's sting! Thanks!

[@terryatchison8307]

How long do they stick around for

[@MrsKatB]

I'm interested to know this as well. Found one at the base of our mulberry tree at exactly the spot where my young son would stand to climb up. I would like to know if I need to remove this nest for my kiddos safety.

[@Swenson1970]

You can call your local DPW; they have protective suits and can investigate closely to see what kind of insects you have on your property. If they are just docile ground bees, you can leave them alone.

[@marykinney4764]

How can anyone identify 1 bee from another?

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

Bees are super hard to identify, especially without looking under the microscope, if you live in the eastern United States, you could check out our book “common bees of the eastern United States “

[@vxrtuality]

Can you built a nest for one!

[@TheBeesInYourBackyard]

I have never hear of people building a nest for yellow jackets, I am not sure how you would attract them to the nest, you should try it and let me know how it works.

[@shebrewsherri1008]

I buy so much raw honey that if I was able, and had the room I would like to have my own bee's, but I don't have extra room or any knowledge of beekeeping and I'm just too old to mess with them. I'll probably transplant some bee balm to the back yard for them though. I have a lot of trouble with wasp's around here. I don't want to encourage them, but the bee's need help. I don't mess with the wasp's because these potentater's need help. They're being killed off by GMOs, chemtrails and people who are so stupid, they're killing off any weed like dandelions that are actually very healthy and nutritious, growing in their yards, without a clue they're are killing our pollinators too. That's going to eventually kill the animals and us humans who are dependent upon them to keep everything growing and producing food every year! I guess they won't have to worry about weeďs in their yards anymore once they kill off the bee's. They won't have a yard, just a big mud puddle, and an empty stomach! Bee nice to our pollinators people!

[@elvo6217]

I don't want the ground bees I got hundred of them that but me while on my patio. I want then to move further down the yard..there annoying as hell

[@porsch2329]

Yeah i must have stepped on one, or three, since i just heard the buzzing and then felt the stinging of them just now! Im killing all bees and wasps