Digger Bees – A Colony in Sandy Soil

Q: What did this? Someone told me it’s a cicada killer but it sure doesn’t look like one to me. Do they sting? How do I get rid of them? I live in central Florida.

A: You have a nice colony of digger bees. They are considered harmless since you really have to squash one in your hand to get a sting. They are not aggressive at all. They provide valuable pollination services in your landscape.

The digger bees are likely there because the grass isn’t very vigorous – or it wasn’t very vigorous last year, since these are likely bees that were laid last year and are now emerging. Digger bees prefer areas with bare ground, so making the turf more vigorous usually helps for long term management.

But if you don’t like them being there just cover the area with mulch.