Place to ID some ground-dwelling bees?

Over the past few days I've noticed small dark brown bees going in and out of holes in ground in the area we've cleared for this years tomato plants. The holes are surrounded by tiny mounds of loose dirt, just like ant hills. The bees look like half-size honey bees except that they're a darker brown color. I'm not particularly interested in killing them, but I would like them to go away.

Can anybody suggest a Web site with pictures where I can ID these critters? My Google searches have produced too many results to be useful.

Reply to
Bert Hyman
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Digger Bee?

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Reply to
Twobtold

snipped-for-privacy@aol.company.net (Twobtold) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m28.aol.com:

Based on the description there, I don't think so. However, one species of the "leafcutting bee" at the same site looks like a closer fit.

Reply to
Bert Hyman

Trying to get bees to just 'go away' is an impossible task. Trying spaying the entire area with soap. I found plain dishwashing liq. worked best for me to rid myself of a nest of yellow jackets that NOTHING would kill. Seems the soap melts the exoskeleton of the little critters.

Cindy

Reply to
Cindy

Chitin is soluble only in concentrated sulfuric and hydrochloric acids and glacial acetic acid. It is essentially insoluble in anything else, including alkalis, dilute acids, organic solvents or water.

The detergent is a wetting agent and may have made it impossible for the YJ's to dry themselves, but it didn't dissolve their exoskeletons.

J. Del Col

Reply to
J. Del Col

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