Pest profile

Chimney bee (miner bee)

Anthophora abrupta · Hymenoptera: Apidae[2]

Chimney bees dig nests in clay and sculpt mud turrets over them; they aren't aggressive and don't typically sting.[1]

Chimney bee, a fuzzy bee with a pale yellow-orange thorax and dark abdomen, on a white flower
Chimney bee, a fuzzy bee with a pale yellow-orange thorax and dark abdomen, on a white flower. (c) Evan M. Raskin, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • It looks like a small, fast bumble bee, with a dense pale yellow-orange thorax and brown-black hairs elsewhere.[1]
  • Females are 14.5 to 17 mm; males have a mustache of hairs on a yellow face.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Ground-nesting bumble beesChimney bees are solitary: each female cares only for her own nest.[1]

Where it lives

It ranges from Texas to the East Coast and from Florida into Canada, though Florida records have been uncommon since the 1980s.[1]

US map: public records from 28 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Adults emerge from March to late June depending on region, males first.[1]

Nests cluster together like a small village, each with its own turret.[1]

Health risk

They're not aggressive or defensive of nests; they may bite if roughly handled.[1]

Control

Prevention

They're docile, beneficial pollinators that shouldn't be considered a threat; they may pollinate tomato, blackberry and raspberry.[1]

Common questions

What are the little mud chimneys in my yard?
Likely chimney bee nests; each turret marks one female's burrow.[1]
Do chimney bees sting?
They don't typically sting and aren't defensive of their nests.[1]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (Featured Creatures), “Miner Bee, Chimney Bee, Anthophora abrupta (EENY-512).” edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN912 (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Anthophora abrupta taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/134150 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.