Most bees nest in the ground. Offering rocks and gravel is a simple way to help them thrive

_Lasioglossum dotatum_ kerrysturat/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC-ND

Of the more than 20,000 bee species in the world, 70% nest in the ground. And like many of their counterparts that nest above ground, these bees are facing rapid population declines.

But while there has been research into providing habitat for above-ground cavity-nesting bees, the nesting ecology of ground-nesting bees remains largely understudied.