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What is a Solitary Bee?
Solitary bees are much more common in Ireland than bumble or honey bees. They don’t live in big colonies or have a social system with a queen.
Where do They Live?
They simply make their own nests inn hollow stems or they make tiny holes in soil, sand or peat and live underground.
What do They Eat?
Solitary bees are very picky about what they will eat as they can’t fly as far as honey bees to find food because of their size. They mostly eat the nectar of wildflowers or and fruit trees. This is why it is important to let the wildflowers in your garden grow.
How to Identify Them
The ashy mining bee is the same size as a honey bee, with black and grey or white hairs. They sometimes look like an ant with wings because of the shape of their b0dy.
Make a Bee Hotel!
You will need:
-wooden box
-bamboo canes or dried, hollow flower stems
Fill your wooden box with the stems or bamboo horizontally , making sure they are tightly packed together. Place your hotel in the sunniest spot of your garden, and you’re done! You will know they’re being used if the holes are being covered by a small circle cut out of a leaf.
Find out more on: https://www.wildcare.co.uk/blog/solitary-bees-8-facts-to-know-plus-an-identification-resource/ https://pollinators.ie/record-pollinators/bees/solitary-bees/