How do ground-nesting bees differ from honeybees?

Ground-nesting bees are distinct from honeybees primarily in their nesting behavior. While honeybees are social insects that live in large colonies within hives, ground-nesting bees typically create individual nests in the soil. This means that each ground-nesting bee typically finds a suitable location, often in sandy or loose soil, to dig out and construct its own nest where it raises its offspring.

This behavior highlights a key contrast: ground-nesting bees tend to be solitary or semi-social, unlike honeybees, which operate as part of a structured colony and have a more complex social system. The creation of individual nests allows ground-nesting bees to thrive independently, relying on their own foraging efforts for food without the shared responsibilities and resources found in honeybee colonies. Understanding this difference is crucial for recognizing the diverse behaviors among bee species and the ecological roles they play.