09/04/2026
Ever wondered where bees go at night?
While most solitary female bees shelter in their nests, their male counterparts are left outside high and dry. If you're lucky, at dawn or dusk, you might spot male bees gathered together to wait out the night. In this photo, male long-horned bees (Melissodes sp.) cling together on a stem, using their jaws to hold on. Male bees sometimes sleep in groups on plants, often returning to the same location night after night. These groups likely form because males choose the same safe resting spot and position themselves near where females will be active the next day. Clustering may also provide benefits like protection from wind or cooler temperatures, and it could reduce an individual’s chance of being eaten by a predator. These napping aggregations are usually species-specific, meaning only individuals of the same species gather together, but several cases have documented multiple species or genera cuddling up on the same branch.
Occasionally, a female bee won't make it back to her nest before dark and will spend the night outside, curled inside the petals of a flower. Kleptoparasitic bees, those that commandeer the nests of other bees rather than making their own, can also be found snoozing out-of-doors. But, as soon as the sun begins to rise, these sleepy pollinators are up and working to provide the ecosystem services we rely on. Rest up bees—you deserve it!
Photo: Amber Barnes, Pollinator Partnership
