Strange Bee behaviour

Hi guys

I hope one of you guys can help. since digging over a border and planting it up the bees have been buzzing all over the bed. What it strange is they appear to be looking for holes in the ground rather than showing any interest in the plants. I watched 4-5 going down a gap beside the newly planted Rhubarb. Are they looking for a nest site?

Here is a picture of one of them

 

This bee is a Mason bee.. it's perfectly normal behaviour.. they go in little holes in the ground (presumably nests).. I saw a few when I was on the Great Orme in N Wales, lots of little holes in the ground everywhere and they were coming in and out of them..

Normal behaviour, but they are out a little later than I would expect.

 

Well you learn something new every day! Thanks Stephen, glad they aren't hornets!

 

No not hornets but Mason Bees are a treasured part of our ecosystem, and sadly under threat. They make an appearance every May, the males mate with the queens around then.. you often find them flying up sunny house walls to search a mate whose nest may be in the wall (and along the ground for in the ground).. The males will generally feed on pollen and nectar, as do the females, but like most bees, the male dies after he has mated with the female. The female also dies after she has given birth to the next generation of males and (female) (I think). Theyre also pretty harmless, you can hold one safely with little worry of getting stung.

The odd thing about Mason bees is that all the males are born sterile females, but change to male except for the queens who remain female. It's a fascinating case of biology choosing the insect which is to be queen.

 

And despite their fearsome reputation Hornets are pretty docile, that is until you disturb their nest, then watch out. But generally one flying around the garden is scary to see, but they do not attack for the fun of it.
We have to hand weed the 'cobbled' paths in the garden these days as there are dozens of little holes from these mining type bees. Living in an acre of garden where there has been no spraying probably in the last 50 years and possibly never, we are lucky to have a huge number of all kinds of bees.

 

I was more concerned for my dog as she has taken to stalking and pouncing on them like a cat! Now I know how they behave I will work around them and try and keep mutley out of the beds

 

We have cats who stalk them and pounce on them, just like a .........cat! They don't catch many even though they are both good mousers.

 

Even if they did continue to try and pounce.. Mason bees don't have a colony bahaviour and are completely dosile.. though they will give a little mild sting if cornered, but it apparently akin to a pin prick.

 

I've had one for the last three days while I've been building my pond. Its been searching around the still wet cement looking for somewhere to live. I saw it leave, but I hope it didn't come back and climb in when I wasn't looking, because it will be doomed if it has.