Photo: Bernie Paquette, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Kansas City Pest Identification
Halictidae (Agapostemon, Lasioglossum, Halictus)Beneficial / not treatedSweat Bee Identification
The tiny bee that lands on your arm on a hot day to lap up sweat for its salt. Many are bright metallic green. Annoying at a ballgame, essential in a garden, and not a structural pest.
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How to Identify It
Small, often brilliant metallic green or dull black with pale bands. Ground nesters in bare soil, sometimes in aggregations of hundreds of small holes.
Size: 4–12 mm
Commonly Confused With
Hover flies and small wasps. Metallic green means sweat bee.
Why It Shows Up
They don't come inside. Nests are in bare, sandy, well-drained soil in the lawn, garden beds, and along paths.
Where Homeowners Find It
Bare patches of lawn, vegetable gardens, and around flowering plants; on people in hot, humid weather.
Seasonal Activity in KC
April through October.
Risk Level
A sting happens only if you swat one on your skin, and it is mild. No property risk.
What You Can Do Yourself
- • Brush them off gently rather than swatting; overseed bare patches if a nesting aggregation bothers you.
Our Take
No treatment.
Common Questions
How do I tell a sweat bee from something that looks similar?
Hover flies and small wasps. Metallic green means sweat bee.
Do I need professional treatment for sweat bee?
We generally don't treat sweat bee. No treatment.