Plastic pots and definitely no way in through the base for them. Just watched a bee dugging its way down in another pot, will have to put that one somewhere safe when the bee finishes,
Also just went past Lonicera alseuosmoides and there were over 200 bees of all kinds on it, and that was just on the one side.
We have a friend who is an enthusiastic Honey bee keeper and she keeps wanting to put a hive in our garden. Only one probelm, the Boss, SWIAR, is very allergic to bee stings so sadly we have to decline the offer. Rapid trips to hospital are not my idea of fun.
Plastic pots and definitely no way in through the base for them. Just watched a bee dugging its way down in another pot, will have to put that one somewhere safe when the bee finishes,
Also just went past Lonicera alseuosmoides and there were over 200 bees of all kinds on it, and that was just on the one side.
Plastic pots!! They are not fussy about staying with traditional materials then!
Fascinating, I have never seen a bee digging, I had assumed that they just found ready-made holes, but I am just a learner at this.
But I mustn't start talking about things I don't know much about, or we shall be here all evening . . .
Mikes advice is very good. The Grubs will feed on the Pollen and Necter that the parent placed in each cell,pupate over winter and then emerge in spring. I have been very successful with a homemade Bug House. Lots of Leafcutter and Mason Bees ( South East facing ) I was potting up young plants yesterday, took a 30 minute break to watch the bees busy at work in the bug house, returned to my pots to find a heap of compost adjacent to a drainage hole and a leafcutter bee hard at work creating a new nest. ( The hole faced South East ) A word of warning, some of my Rose Leaves and a Bonsai Sycamore are full of holes, but who cares ?
For me one of the greatest sights and sounds is the little mining bees working away on our Snowdrops. It might be only just above freezing, but out they come and the Wood is alive with them. If the temperature drops then they disappear.
Another wonderful sight and sound at the other end of the year, the Ivy flowers on a huge run of the stuff in the hedge row down our lane. On a warm Autumn day it is heaving with bees. So, the plant makes berries, so the birds eat the berries and so we get zillions of Ivy seedlings everywhere, so?
Some bees certainly do dig holes. Mining bees for starters. It is how they got their vernacular name. I've watched them 'mine' into a sandy bank to create their nest. Some of these 'solitary' species share a common opening hole, but each bee makes its own chamber in which it stores pollen and lays its eggs. Some of the mining bees are the first bee species to emerge in spring, being pollinators of e.g. willow.
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Plastic pots and definitely no way in through the base for them. Just watched a bee dugging its way down in another pot, will have to put that one somewhere safe when the bee finishes,
Also just went past Lonicera alseuosmoides and there were over 200 bees of all kinds on it, and that was just on the one side.
Berghill- the bees must love your friendly ' 5 star hotel' environment. You'll have to put your rates up!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We have a friend who is an enthusiastic Honey bee keeper and she keeps wanting to put a hive in our garden. Only one probelm, the Boss, SWIAR, is very allergic to bee stings so sadly we have to decline the offer. Rapid trips to hospital are not my idea of fun.
Plastic pots!! They are not fussy about staying with traditional materials then!
Fascinating, I have never seen a bee digging, I had assumed that they just found ready-made holes, but I am just a learner at this.
But I mustn't start talking about things I don't know much about, or we shall be here all evening . . .
Mike
Mikes advice is very good. The Grubs will feed on the Pollen and Necter that the parent placed in each cell,pupate over winter and then emerge in spring. I have been very successful with a homemade Bug House. Lots of Leafcutter and Mason Bees ( South East facing ) I was potting up young plants yesterday, took a 30 minute break to watch the bees busy at work in the bug house, returned to my pots to find a heap of compost adjacent to a drainage hole and a leafcutter bee hard at work creating a new nest. ( The hole faced South East ) A word of warning, some of my Rose Leaves and a Bonsai Sycamore are full of holes, but who cares ?
For me one of the greatest sights and sounds is the little mining bees working away on our Snowdrops. It might be only just above freezing, but out they come and the Wood is alive with them. If the temperature drops then they disappear.
Another wonderful sight and sound at the other end of the year, the Ivy flowers on a huge run of the stuff in the hedge row down our lane. On a warm Autumn day it is heaving with bees. So, the plant makes berries, so the birds eat the berries and so we get zillions of Ivy seedlings everywhere, so?
Composter238 - Nice story, thanks. We must watch our flower pots more closely!.
Mike
Berghill - Thanks, I had no idea that any bees come around at snowdrop time, must look for them next year.
Mike
Mike160304
Some bees certainly do dig holes. Mining bees for starters. It is how they got their vernacular name. I've watched them 'mine' into a sandy bank to create their nest. Some of these 'solitary' species share a common opening hole, but each bee makes its own chamber in which it stores pollen and lays its eggs. Some of the mining bees are the first bee species to emerge in spring, being pollinators of e.g. willow.
Thanks Roy - worth watching out for!
Mike