Would someone here help identify a social bee that nests in lawns? The bees look very like honeybees (from a few feet away) in size and coloration (they are almost certainly not wasps). They aren't particularly aggressive but alas, yesterday one did sting a toddler who grabbed at it while playing on the grass. The nest is in a very central and unavoidable place on a neighbor's property. I'm trying to get information to learn (a) what species these are, and (b) if there's a way to avoid destroying them. (As much as I hate the thought of killing bees, these may in fact be best removed from the gene pool for nesting is such a silly spot as the edge of a front walk.)
Many thanks for any information. Carol