Nature Notebook

Tawny Mining © Wendy Carter

Digger BeesWho’d have thought that a tiny bee could dig a tunnel... welcome to the world of mining bees!

We’re all familiar with bumblebees but what about their smaller cousins that buzz about our green spaces and pollinate our flowers and crops? There are more than 250 species of bee in the UK and many are miners... solitary bees that dig tunnels into short turf and bare ground in order to create a safe space for their offspring.

What do I mean by ‘solitary’ bee? Most people are aware of the social nature of bumblebees, where each individual works together for the benefit of the whole colony. Solitary bees, by contrast, work alone – females each create their own nests and provision their own young with food. Solitary bees often nest in large aggregations but they won’t be using the same nest.

Mining bee mums dig tunnels up to one metre long; an incredible feat for a small and seemingly delicate insect. Towards the end of each tunnel she’ll excavate a series of chambers and within each of these she’ll lay an egg. The hard work doesn’t end there – she has to collect pollen and carry it back to each chamber, leaving enough pollen to provide the young bee with plenty of food to devour in order to develop into the next generation.

Mining bees can be found in lots of different habitats – some are fussy about where they dig but others are as happy in your flower beds as they would be in a nature reserve. Two of the most striking (and easily identified) species are ashy and tawny mining bees. Depending on March’s weather they may already be flying but look for them in your garden or local greenspace throughout April.

Ashy mining bees are a wonderful silvery grey and black. Females have a shiny black abdomen with a humbug-like thorax – a black central patch that’s surrounded by a ring of silvery hairs. Both males and females have a silvery moustache but the males are smaller with silvery hairs on the abdomen. I think that female tawny mining bees look like they’re wearing a sumptuous evening gown; they’re covered in dense fox-coloured hairs. Taken with mainly black legs and a black face, this glorious combination make for a very distinctive bee. Males are smaller and covered in brown hairs but are similar to a number of other species so are tricky to identify.

Like their stripey cousins, solitary bees are in trouble. We can help, though. Has your garden or local greenspace got plenty of nectar and pollen rich plants? From early blooms like snowdrops and aconites through lavender, rosemary, cosmos, pot marigold, alliums to Michaelmas daisies and winter heather or mahonia – the more you plant, the more you’ll help. Solitary bees love spring blossom but they’re also partial to dandelions so please try to leave a few dotted around. Don’t forget to ditch the chemical bug-killers – a healthy garden will support a huge range of wildlife that will do the job for you. nKEEP UP TO DATE

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust @WorcsWT t worcestershirewildlifetrust G worcswildlifetrust.co.uk w For more ideas about helping bees and other wildlife, take a look at www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-gardening.