If you live in Allendale and you've noticed big, fuzzy bees zipping in and out of the same spot by your deck, porch or foundation, you probably have a bumble bee nest. Bumble bees are some of the gentlest bees in your yard, and they're important pollinators for gardens and flowering trees. Most of the time the best move is to leave them alone. But a nest next to a doorway, a walkway or a kids' play area is a different story. Below, we'll explain where bumble bees nest, how risky they really are and what to do about them. If the nest is in a spot you can't avoid, our bee removal team can take a look.
Where Bumble Bees Nest Around Your Home
Bumble bees are social bees that live in small colonies. Unlike honey bees, they don't build big wax hives in trees. A queen that survived the winter looks for a sheltered cavity in spring and starts a new colony there. Common spots include:
- Old rodent burrows in the lawn or garden beds.
- Under decks, porches, steps and sheds, where the ground stays dry and protected.
- Compost piles, thick mulch and dense grass.
- Wall voids and insulation, reached through gaps in siding, soffits or vents.
- Empty birdhouses and piles of stored lumber or debris.
You usually won't see the nest itself. What you'll see is a steady line of bees flying low into one small opening and back out again.
Why They Picked Your Yard
Bumble bees go where there's shelter and food. A yard with flowering shrubs, clover in the lawn or a vegetable garden gives them plenty to eat. A quiet, dry space under a deck or an abandoned burrow gives the queen somewhere to start. Nothing about it means your home is dirty or neglected. It just means your yard checked the right boxes when a queen went looking in spring.
Bumble Bee Or Something Else?
Several stinging insects nest near homes, so it's worth being sure. Bumble bees are round, fuzzy and black and yellow, with hair covering the whole body. Carpenter bees look similar but have a shiny, mostly bare black abdomen, and they bore holes in wood instead of nesting in the ground. Our guide to carpenter bee damage covers that one in detail. Yellow jackets also nest in the ground, but they're smooth, shiny and thin-waisted, and they're far more defensive.
| Bumble Bee | Yellow Jacket | |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Round and fuzzy | Smooth, shiny, narrow waist |
| Temperament | Calm unless the nest is disturbed | Defensive, especially in late summer |
| Interest in your food | Little to none | Drawn to sweets, meat and trash |
| Nest lifespan | One season | One season |
Are Bumble Bees Dangerous?
Away from the nest, bumble bees are focused on flowers and almost never sting. Near the nest it's different. They will defend it if it's stepped on, mowed over, blocked or poked. Unlike honey bees, a bumble bee can sting more than once. For most people a sting is painful but not serious. Anyone with a known allergy to bee stings should keep their distance and leave the nest to someone else. If a sting causes swelling beyond the sting site or trouble breathing, see a doctor right away.
What To Do About A Bumble Bee Nest
Start by asking one question: is the nest somewhere people and pets have to walk?
- If it's out of the way, leave it. A bumble bee colony only lasts one season. In late summer and fall it produces new queens, the old colony dies off and the nest is abandoned. The new queens spend winter somewhere else.
- Give it space. Mark the spot so nobody mows over it, and keep kids and dogs away from the entrance.
- Don't plug the hole or pour anything into it. Blocking an active nest makes bees more defensive and can push them to find another way out, sometimes indoors. Pouring gasoline or chemicals into the ground is dangerous and contaminates your soil.
- Seal up after the season. Once the nest is quiet in fall, close gaps under steps, fill old burrows and seal openings in siding or soffits so next spring's queens find fewer places to start.
When To Call A Professional
Call a pro when the nest is next to a door, a busy path, a pool or a play set, when it's inside a wall or the attic, when someone in the home is allergic or when you're not sure what kind of insect it is. EcoFusion's NJ DEP-licensed technicians identify the insect first, then choose the right approach for where the nest is. When a nest has to go, we focus on that one nest rather than treating the whole yard, which protects the other pollinators you want to keep.
Bumble bees are good neighbors most of the time. If the nest is tucked away, let the season run its course and seal the spot in fall. If it's somewhere your family can't avoid on your Allendale property, EcoFusion Pest Control can inspect it and help you handle it safely.