Ground Bee Behavior:

Ground nesting or miner bees are solitary bees that create underground galleries, with queens living individually and raising their own young.  The entrances to the nests are small piles or patches of bare soil.  They do not form hives, but several females may nest in the same area. Ground bee queens do not defend their nesting areas and are very docile and unlikely to sting, posing little or no threat to people.  The males often patrol an area inhabited by females seeking mates.  While the males can be very active and seem aggressive, they lack a sting and are also harmless.  Like other bees, they are active foragers of nectar and pollen from flowers, making them beneficial pollinators.

Their nest entrances are small mounds of soil a few inches across.  While they may briefly detract from the aesthetics of a well-tended lawn, they do absolutely no harm to the grass or soil—even improving it as their nests function as aeration holes, improving the penetration of water and nutrients.  Eventually, as the nests are abandoned after the spring nesting season, the soil washes back into place with rain, disappearing completely.   

If you find mounds of soil similar to anthills but with larger openings, they might be ground bee nests.

Always observe a bee’s nest from a safe distance when you’re trying to identify a species. Watch for bees flying low over the ground and entering the burrow. Do you see a single bee coming and going, or multiple bees entering the nest? If just a single bee entering a dirt mound they can be a ground bee nest.