Solitary Bees and Bumblebees

Solitary bees comprise the mining bees that nest in underground burrows and over 150 species of mason and leaf cutter bees that nest in small, horizontal holes. Although some can sting, they are unlikely to do so. These bees are important pollinators of our wildflowers and food crops. Their natural wild habitats are being destroyed so these fascinating little creatures are under threat. Encouraging them into your garden and protecting them in there will help conserve these fascinating creatures.

Bumblebees are social insects that live in colonies. All the members of the colony are the offspring of a single fertile female - the queen. There were 27 species of bumblebee in Britain but two species are already extinct and others close to extinction although in Romney Marsh and Dungeness where there are wildflower bird feeding grounds planted by Natural England, five of these rare bumblebees have been making a comeback. Bumblebee colonies survive for just one summer. Only the queens, fertilized the previous summer will survive the winter hibernation to start new colonies in the spring.

Bumblebees and solitary bees such as the Red Mason bee are far more efficient pollinators than the honeybee because they are hairier and can carry more pollen. It is these bees that need our protection if we do not wish our food supply to be in danger.

Visit BOMBUS for information on bumblebees of the world and online identification tools for Britain’s six most common bumble bees
The Bees, Ants and Wasps Recording Society has information about British bees as does Buzz About Bees