Welcome Cellophane Bees: Create a Haven for These Gentle Ground-Nesters

Cellophane bees (Colletes spp.) are among the most fascinating—and overlooked—pollinators in North American gardens. Active from early spring through fall, these solitary, ground-nesting bees are gentle, non-aggressive, and easy to support. All they ask? A patch of bare, sandy soil and a succession of flowers.

Meet the Cellophane Bee

• Family: Colletidae
• Species: ~98 in North America; 460+ worldwide
• Range: Most of the world except Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand
• Habitat: Woodland edges, meadows, prairies, gardens—especially sandy soils
• Size: ¼–½ inch; black/dark gray with pale abdominal bands

Nesting Habits

Females excavate nests in bare, uncompacted soil—often in large aggregations that resemble ant hills. Nest-building lasts 3–4 weeks in spring; then the female seals the nest until offspring emerge the following year. They're not aggressive and rarely sting.

Why They Matter

Cellophane bees are effective pollinators with short tongues suited to open flowers. Early-spring species rely on willows, red maples, and flowering shrubs; summer and fall species visit perennials like goldenrod, asters, prairie clovers, and lead plant. Some are specialists, collecting pollen only from specific plant families.

How to Attract Them

Provide Nesting Sites

• Leave patches of bare, uncompacted soil—especially sandy areas.
• Protect active nests (visible as small mounds with central holes) from disturbance.
• Avoid pesticides, particularly on flowering plants.

Plant for Continuous Bloom

Spring: Willows (Salix), red maple (Acer rubrum), eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis), blueberry (Vaccinium)*
Summer: Bluestar (Amsonia), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), native onions (Allium), lead plant (Amorpha)*, prairie clover (Dalea)*, ground cherry (Physalis)*
Late Summer/Fall: Goldenrod (Solidago)*, asters*
* = specialist plants

Identifying Features

• Heart-shaped faces; pollen carried high on hind legs (not lower like most bees)
• Males emerge first, patrolling nest sites for females
• Females line brood cells with a cellophane-like secretion from salivary and Dufour's glands—waterproofing provisions

By offering bare soil and a season-long buffet of native blooms, you'll gain diligent pollinators and a front-row seat to one of nature's most intriguing life cycles.