Teddy bear bees eat nectar and pollen. The name usually refers to the fuzzy, golden-brown native bee Amegilla bombiformis of Australia, a solitary bee that drinks nectar from flowers and collects pollen to feed its young. People also use the nickname for some furry bumblebees and carpenter bees.
Which Bee Is It?
The Australian teddy bear bee is a round, hairy, orange-brown bee about the size of a honey bee. It is a close relative of the blue banded bee. It does not live in colonies. Each female digs her own burrow in the soil and provisions it by herself.
What Teddy Bear Bees Eat
- Nectar: adults hover and feed from tube-shaped flowers using a long tongue.
- Pollen: females gather it to make a food ball for each egg in the nest.
Teddy bear bees are known for buzz pollination. The bee grips a flower and vibrates its flight muscles to shake pollen loose from flowers that hold it tightly, such as tomatoes, eggplants and many native shrubs. This makes them useful garden visitors.
What the Young Eat
The female digs a tunnel, builds cells from mud and soil, and fills each with pollen and nectar before laying one egg. The larva eats the provision, grows and later emerges as an adult.
Plants They Visit
- Tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants (buzz pollination)
- Native Australian shrubs and wildflowers
- Herbs like borage, lavender and basil
- Salvias and other tubular flowers
Are They Dangerous?
No. They are gentle and rarely sting. Males may rest on plant stems at night, gripping with their jaws.
How to Help Them
- Plant a mix of flowers that bloom through spring and summer.
- Leave bare patches of firm, sunny soil or soft sandstone for nesting.
- Avoid pesticides on flowers.
- Set out a shallow water dish with pebbles.
Bottom Line
Teddy bear bees eat nectar and pollen and are valuable pollinators, especially of tomatoes and related plants. Learn about related bees in what blue banded bees eat and what solitary bees eat.
