Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Hibiscus Turret Bees (Ptilothrix bombiformis) fly in and out of holes in the trail at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, in Houston, TX, USA. These Bees are active while Hibiscus flowers are in bloom. Although they can eat nectar from various plants, they provision their nests with pollen and nectar that comes from Hibiscus flowers. The solitary Bees nest in the ground, and it looks like the Bees the the video are in various stages of excavating and provisioning their nests.
In the part of the video that shows two nests as the same time, it looks like the Bee in the foreground has already excavated fairly deeply, maybe even to the water table underground. Meanwhile the Bee in the background has to fly off and return many times, probably to get water from nearby to help soften the soil (which is quite hard on top).
Hibiscus Turret Bees (Ptilothrix bombiformis) fly in and out of holes in the trail at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, in Houston, TX, USA. These Bees are active while Hibiscus flowers are in bloom. Although they can eat nectar from various plants, they provision their nests with pollen and nectar that comes from Hibiscus flowers. The solitary Bees nest in the ground, and it looks like the Bees the the video are in various stages of excavating and provisioning their nests.
In the part of the video that shows two nests as the same time, it looks like the Bee in the foreground has already excavated fairly deeply, maybe even to the water table underground. Meanwhile the Bee in the background has to fly off and return many times, probably to get water from nearby to help soften the soil (which is quite hard on top).
