Ground nesting bees

**northepaul** · 25-05-2010, 04:48 PM

Depending which sort of ground nesting bees you have...bumble bees have been known to do this, we have some in our grass along with several stingless tiny bees.

a bit of a pain for them to be nesting in your potato patch - usually they like compacted ground.

**Pies** · 25-05-2010, 04:52 PM

They are not bumble bees,they look like honey bees but a bit lighter in colour

**Sheikh Yerboutti** · 25-05-2010, 06:20 PM

They are possibly mason bees or leafcutter bees. Insects like that are usually solitary chaps so you wont find a swarm. Youre very lucky. cherish them.

**Two_Sheds** · 25-05-2010, 06:43 PM

Solitary bees rarely sting. I have tawny bee nests all over my plot, in the most inconvenient of places. I try to avoid them, but don't worry overmuch.

**Nicki85** · 26-05-2010, 08:35 AM

We always have mason bees in our garden somewhere! One lived in a cyclamen pot for years in the greenhouse. We used to watch him coming back with bits of leaves etc. Only problem was that it seemed to love certain types of plants and would cut all the leaves to the stalks!!!

But they are fun to watch and don't seem mean

(and that's coming from someone who is very allergic to wasps and bees... think epipen!!)

**Patchninja** · 26-05-2010, 08:57 AM

We had some ground dwelling bees - personally I wouldn't know how to tell one bee from another. There were LOTS of them. Certainly not solitary.

**lainey lou** · 26-05-2010, 09:22 AM

We have bumbley bees nesting under the patio, they are fascinating to watch.

**Nik** · 26-05-2010, 11:25 AM

They aren't bumblebees, they're solitary bees. In fact most bee species are solitary. There are 250 native bee species (not including honey bees which are technically non native) - 25 of them are bumblebees and 225 are solitary.
They won't do any harm as they don't swarm and their stings are very feeble. It's probably a mining bee but here's some pics of the most common ones so you can identify it - Solitary_bees_gallery
Bees are fascinating - they aren't pests!

**lainey lou** · 26-05-2010, 11:30 AM

Originally posted by Nik View Post

They aren't bumblebees, they're solitary bees. In fact most bee species are solitary. There are 250 native bee species (not including honey bees which are technically non native) - 25 of them are bumblebees and 225 are solitary.
They won't do any harm as they don't swarm and their stings are very feeble. It's probably a mining bee but here's some pics of the most common ones so you can identify it - Solitary_bees_gallery
Bees are fascinating - they aren't pests!

facinating website, thank you.

**Pies** · 26-05-2010, 03:08 PM

Thanks all,im more concerned about my spuds as i can't earth them up or dig them up without disturbing the nest.

They could have picked any other spot on my plot and it wouldn't be a problem,but amongst me spuds its a problem

**Sheikh Yerboutti** · 26-05-2010, 05:25 PM

If anyone would like their own "pet" bees, heres how to get em. Get an old log or lump of wood ( non treated). Drill lots of 10mm holes 50mm deep in one face of it.Ensure holes slope uphill so rain wont enter . I also cut a slant on top of log and fix a slate or similar to it to shed water.Mount it to a wall/fence so holes face approx south east. Watch and wait.
Leafcutter bees will lay eggs in holes and then seal entrance with a perfectly cut disc of leaf. New bees will emerge in spring. Very fascinating to watch close up.

**Jeanied** · 26-05-2010, 05:32 PM

Would it have been a bee that made a rolled cigar - end shape out of leaves in the compost of one of my polystyrene module trays? I found one in my garden last year and wondered, who made that?
Oh and we had buff tailed bumblies in the ground in my plot one year - luckily an unused bit.

**Sheikh Yerboutti** · 26-05-2010, 05:43 PM

Hmm, not seen that before, did you smoke it?

**Jeanied** · 26-05-2010, 05:44 PM

It was weird Sheikh - I was tempted! Non smoking household though!!

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