Pest Control UK

Solitary Bees

Latin Name: various species

Months of Activity: March - May

There are over 200 species of solitary bees found in Britain and, like the social bees, they all feed on pollen and nectar. Important pollinators of many garden flowers and commercial crops, solitary bees collect pollen for provisioning the nest with food for their brood.

Each female solitary bee is fertile, and typically inhabits a nest she constructs herself. There are no worker bees, and neither honey nor beeswax are produced by these insects.

Appearance

Most solitary bees resemble small honey bees or, in some cases, small bumble bees, but the adults of most species are fairly short-lived and are seen for only a few weeks in spring or early summer.

Lifecycle

Solitary bees create nests in hollow reeds or twigs, holes in wood, or, most commonly, in tunnels in the ground. The female typically creates a compartment (or "cell") with an egg and some provisions for the resulting larva, then seals it off.

A nest may consist of numerous cells. The adult bee does not provide care for the brood once the egg is laid, and usually dies after making one or more nests. The males typically emerge first and are ready for mating when the females emerge.

While solitary female bees each make individual nests, some species are gregarious, preferring to make nests near others of the same species, giving the appearance to the casual observer that they are social.

Pest Control

Often mistaken for other varieties of bee, the solitary bee provides no real threat to homes and gardens in the UK. Harmless creatures, the solitary bee does not swarm and is either stingless or very unlikely to sting.

If you do have an incidence of a solitary bee taking up residence in your property, the ideal solution is to contact your local pest control company who can quickly and easily remove the problem.

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2006 – 2007 – 2008