Underground bees.

[Paulottie]

I recently dug a big hole to chuck weeds in on the new lottie. I half filled it up came back a few days later to find black bees (not bumbles..honey bee size) tunnelling into the walls. There seems to be quite a colony starting. I am reluctant to fill it in but they can't live there...Is that usual, are they a special sort of bee and if so, could they be encouraged to better premises like a hive?

[peanut]

You need Headfry for this one!
We were talking about Black Bees the other day and she said they can be very rare.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi,

Have a look at this link, is this what you have? Solitary Bees

I am sure Headfry will be along soon with more info.

Mandy

[Headfry]

I would go for Solitary Bees, you do get mason or mortar bees but they tend to like walls and as name suggests, mortar.

I get loads of Solitary bees in my grass and between the patio paving, talk about long time cutting the grass! Mind the bees! it takes me ages :-)
outside their holes (burrows) you will see little pile of fine earth- looks so very much like worm casts....but watch a while and you might see a bee! I love watching them come and go, and would love to see into their homes.

Found this, hope it helps

Solitary Bees (Burrowing Bees)

There are many species of bees which are solitary by nature, but the commonest group belongs to the genus Andrena and these are frequently called mining bees. They are rather variable as far as size and colour go, but are generally quite hairy and closely resemble the honeybee. They can be distinguished quite easily by their short tongues and the most constant feature is the marked flattening of the abdomen. One of the best known species is the tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva, which has its thorax and abdomen richly covered in dark tan coloured fur.

Each individual female bee will make a nest in a suitable position in the ground, usually selecting light sandy soil, domestic lawns being an ideal situation. There may be many individual nests grouped closely together, taking advantage of the ease of excavation of the light soil and giving the impression of communal living. Each female, however, is working alone to excavate a small burrow with perhaps half a dozen earthen chambers.

There is no contact between the parent and offspring, the female bee showing no interest in the progeny after she has created and provisioned the cell and she is probably dead before they emerge. Most of the species emerge from their nests in the spring and after mating the females start making new burrows. Many species produce a second generation about July time but others take a whole year to complete their life cycles and adults are only found for a short period during each year.

They sometimes cause a minor nuisance until they disappear in mid-summer but the use of insecticide is unnecessary, as they cannot successfully sting humans.

Enjoy your bees, if you can give them a little space and time that would be great!

[Paulottie]

Ah that is why there appears to be a colony...evidently lots of homeless solitary bees in the area then!....Oh dear, I had planed to cover over the hole and put mypex and a bean wigwam there: Apart from anything else there is two foot of couch roots etc underneath a thin skin of soil that need further capping.... I would hate to bury them though. I guess I'll wait till midsummer and do the late crop there then.

[Headfry]

Paulottie, you are a sweetie!

[Flummery]

We have a large group of miner bees, as we call them here, in the bank alongside the garden next door and next door but one. The only nuisance is that they hang around the front door, get into the house when it's opened, then promptly die - they don't seem to last more than a couple of hours indoors, so I spend a bit of time trying to catch them and release them. They are sweet little things. Sadly I have a few corpses in my hoover bag!

[Sue]

I had some last year, loved watching them excavating and then the rains came and they got flooded out - it was very sad, I've not seen any burroughs since.
Sue

[Paulottie]

I was watching for a while today and there doesn't appear to be anything very solitary about them. Most of them, a regular stream, are queuing up to enter the same hole and they look a lot like honey bees to me. black with a fringe of dark yellow at the back and faint striping of the thorax. Don't look much like the ones in Mandy's link...Is there another sight I could compare them on?

Still I'm sure your right...must go on a bee course.

[Two_Sheds]

I've had a Google, but not coming up with much. Can you take and post some pics for us?

[Headfry]

Solitary_bees_gallery

Morning Paulottie does the above link help at all?

[Paulottie]

Red mason bee a possibility? seems to say they live in colonies.

I put a post on national beekeeper's website. So perhaps this will inspire me to get a hive and get a wriggle on as I have been intending to give it a go for years. I have missed our local beginners course but a friend said I could go to a society meet to try it out and see if the bees liked me...apparently not everyone liked!...can't believe that

I'll take the camera this afternoon.

[Headfry]

They will love you I am sure of it. Good swarm weather

Have a great time!