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what sort of bee is this (unless it is a variety of wasp!)?

berardeberarde Posts: 147
in The potting shed
I've not seen these bees before. There are a number of them buzzing around the bamboo tubes, some going in and coming out, and are engaged in courtship or even more. I've not seen them before and they do seem to have stripey bodies but not the bright stripes of the usual wasps.
And on this subject there are lots of the usual wasps, but I never see the other british varieties.

Posts

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I would hazard a guess at a red mason bee.
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    I agree with Fire. The females will lay their eggs in the bamboo tubes and stock them with food (pollen and and a little nectar) then seal them in with mud.
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    berarde

    You must be very happy that the bee has "moved in "

    I have just got my first one of the season.

    At the bottom of the first pic there is a small spider I believe.

    I get these on my blocks as well

    Yesterday I saw a bee that had the stripes behind the head going towards the tail and then further back the normal bands going across the body.

    The smaller one was sat of the larger one like the space shuttle on the Jumbo jet.

    They were sat on my plastic milk bottle with the comphrey juice and when I tickled them they didnt move.

    Any ideas what type this is friends ?
    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    I guess that this is what you describe - a hoverfly, not a bee:-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helophilus_trivittatus
  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    @NewBoy2, did it look like this?


    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    AKA “the footballer”😂
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    Yes very pleased to have some bees there, We have had a bee nest  a couple of times in an airvent high up on the side of the house. I didn't know which species , we do have something like 250 species in the uk. A number of people coming to the side door seemed alarmed, and puzzled that I was pleased
  • Bright starBright star Posts: 1,153
    edited May 2021
    I just received a book today by Dave Goulson called Gardening for Bumblebees. A practical guide to creating a paradise for pollinators. It’s very good. I recognised the description of the hoverfly that NewBoy2 posted because I’d just read about it in that book.
    Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

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