Texas Native Bees
A field primer on 49 species: nesting, ecology, and what your yard can do
Understanding how Texas native bees are organized by nesting, diet, and ecoregion makes it much easier to choose plants and habitat features that actually work.
Ligated Sweat Bee (Halictus ligatus), one of the most abundant native bees across Texas ecoregions.
Texas hosts hundreds of native bee species. The 49 in Pollinator Patch were selected for their likelihood of appearing in a residential garden, with full profiles on nesting, diet, seasonal activity, and ecoregion.
This guide covers how Texas native bees are organized ecologically, which species to expect in each ecoregion, and what garden actions produce the most habitat value.
Texas supports hundreds of native bee species, more than most states, because it spans six distinct ecoregions with widely different soils, climates, and plant communities.
Pollinator Patch currently covers 49 Texas native bee species chosen for their likelihood of appearing in a residential garden. Each profile includes ecoregion, activity months, nesting type, diet, host plants, and ID tips.
Use the filter in the Explore tab to narrow to bees most likely in your region, from the Edwards Plateau to the Piney Woods.