how to get rid of ground bees

June 27, 2026

Ground bees are usually gentle, helpful pollinators, so the goal is to move them on and prevent nesting rather than kill them. Here’s a safe, practical game plan you can actually follow in your yard.

Quick Scoop

Focus on making your yard unattractive to ground bees: damp soil, thick grass, and covered bare spots.

Use simple, non‑toxic methods first (water, soil cover, natural scents) and reserve chemicals or extermination for real safety risks.

Work at night, wear protection, and call a pro if anyone nearby has sting allergies or if the infestation is large.

Step 1 – Make Sure They’re Really Ground Bees

Before you do anything, you want to be sure you’re not dealing with wasps or hornets. Signs it’s likely ground bees:

Small soil mounds with a single pencil‑size hole in the center.
Lots of separate holes spread around sunny, dry, bare patches.
Bees generally flying solo, not swarming, and only mildly curious about you.

If you see aggressive behavior, large numbers swarming one entrance, or paper/cardboard‑like material, you may be dealing with yellowjackets or wasps, which are more dangerous and should be handled by a pro.

Step 2 – Use Your Lawn Against Them

Ground bees love dry, loose, bare soil. Your mission is to ruin that real estate.

Keep the soil damp

Water the area regularly for a couple of weeks; a sprinkler on a timer works well.

Aim to keep the soil slightly moist (not swampy) where you see holes; ground bees strongly prefer dry ground and will relocate when conditions stay damp.

Thicken the grass and cover bare spots

Overseed thin lawn areas and add compost or topsoil so roots bind the soil and make burrowing harder.

Rake lightly, seed, then water; repeat if the area is very sparse.
Where you don’t want grass, use mulch, gravel, or groundcover plants to hide exposed soil.

As your lawn thickens and stays a bit more humid, you make the yard unattractive for future nests as well as the current ones.

Step 3 – Gently Push Them Out (Natural Methods)

Once you’ve started watering and improving the lawn, you can speed things up with non‑toxic deterrents.

Block their burrow entrances

In the evening or at night (when they’re calm), place a brick, paver, or large rock over each nest entrance.

You can also lay landscape fabric over a cluster of holes and cover it with mulch or gravel to prevent re‑entry.

Use strong scents they dislike

Common home options include:

Ground cinnamon sprinkled around and lightly into the holes.
A 1:1 mix of white vinegar and water sprayed around the entrance (avoid dousing bees directly).
Peppermint oil: a few drops in water, shaken and sprayed around the area.

Reapply after rain or heavy watering. These scents don’t instantly “kill” bees; they just make the spot miserable so they move on.

Step 4 – Disturb and Close Tunnels (Carefully)

If the bees have already started moving out, you can break up their tunnels so they don’t return next season.

Pick a cool evening or night, wear long sleeves, long pants, closed shoes, and gloves.

Use a shovel or rake to turn the soil in the affected patch, breaking up tunnels and collapsing burrows.

Immediately rake it smooth, then seed or mulch the area so it doesn’t become open, loose ground again.

This is especially effective late in the season after most activity has stopped, because you’re destroying old tunnels and hiding entrances before next spring.

Step 5 – When You Should Call a Pro

Sometimes DIY isn’t the safest option. Strong reasons to bring in a licensed bee/pest specialist:

Anyone in the household (or close neighbors) has a bee sting allergy.
You see intense activity over a wide area or suspect yellowjackets instead of gentle ground bees.
You’ve tried watering, soil cover, and natural deterrents for a few weeks and they’re still active.

Many professional services can relocate or control ground‑nesting bees with methods that minimize harm to pollinators while actually solving the problem long‑term.

Should You Get Rid of Them at All?

A quick reality check: ground bees are solitary, generally non‑aggressive pollinators that help gardens and local ecosystems.

Good reasons to actively move them along:

Nests are in high‑traffic spots kids or pets use.
You or a family member has a history of severe allergic reactions.
The number of nests makes mowing or yard work stressful.

If they’re in a remote corner and not bothering anyone, the most “bee‑friendly” plan is to improve the lawn gradually and let that natural pressure encourage them to pick a new home next season.

Simple HTML Table: Methods to Move Ground Bees On

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Method</th>
      <th>What You Do</th>
      <th>Pros</th>
      <th>Cons / Cautions</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Frequent watering</td>
      <td>Keep soil in affected area consistently moist.</td>
      <td>Non-toxic, also improves lawn health, pushes bees to drier spots.</td>
      <td>Must repeat for 1–2 weeks; avoid waterlogging. [web:1][web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Thicken grass / plant cover</td>
      <td>Overseed lawn, add compost, or plant groundcovers over bare soil.</td>
      <td>Long-term prevention; makes burrowing difficult.</td>
      <td>Takes time for plants to establish. [web:3][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Block holes with rocks/fabric</td>
      <td>Place bricks/rocks or landscape fabric plus mulch over nests at night.</td>
      <td>Immediately limits access to tunnels.</td>
      <td>Wear protection; some bees may be trapped under cover. [web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Natural scent deterrents</td>
      <td>Use cinnamon, vinegar-water, or peppermint spray around entrances.</td>
      <td>Easy DIY, low toxicity, supports “bee-friendly” approach.</td>
      <td>Requires reapplication; mainly discourages rather than instantly removes. [web:1][web:3][web:7][web:8]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Disturb and turn soil</td>
      <td>At night, dig and rake the nest area, then reseed or mulch.</td>
      <td>Destroys existing tunnels and entrances.</td>
      <td>Wear full coverage; best used once activity is low. [web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Professional removal</td>
      <td>Call a licensed bee or pest control service.</td>
      <td>Safest for large infestations or allergy risk; expert identification.</td>
      <td>Costs more; methods vary by company. [web:3][web:5][web:10]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.