10/06/2025
These little cuties were having a moment in the sunshine the other day; a beautiful pair of solitary bees, making baby bees.
🌼 Whilst he was "getting the job done", she continued to forage - a mum to be has gotta be in tip top shape afterall!
🐝 We had in our head that these were likely Ivy Bees (Colletes hederae), but if they are they're either ahead of schedule or they do things differently in Scilly. So, to that end, if any of you can offer ID confirmation that'd be buzz-y brilliant!
🌍 There are estimated to be between 20,000-30,000 solitary bee species worldwide, with over 240 species of solitary bee in the UK alone. They're often the forgotten, unsung heroes of the pollinator world as their PR team, and media coverage, isn't as big or noisy as those of the honeybee or bumblebees.
🫂 The term solitary bee covers a whole host of groups including mason bees, white-faced bees, carder bees, digger bees, leafcutter bees and mining bees to name just a few and despite their name, solitary bees can be very social creatures and often nest close to one another.
🍻 Here's to the loners!
