Bees in the Garden

....there are more than 250 species of native bee in Britain...

You may be surprised to hear that there are more than 250 species of native bee in Britain all of which help in the garden by pollinating flowers. As modern methods of agriculture continue to produce a landscape that is less bee-friendly, these bees are becoming scarcer.

The Red Mason Bee is the most common in this area and particularly likes the range of flowers and trees found in domestic gardens, it is a more efficient pollinator than the honey bee and by attracting them to your garden not only should you notice improved fruit crops but they also visit a wide range of garden flowers. By providing a suitable nesting facility in a sunny, south facing, sheltered position you should attract nest seeking females of the Red Mason Bee, or if you are lucky the Blue Mason or Leaf Cutter bees which are also solitary species.

The bees are active from late March to the beginning of July, although they never live to see their offspring, the new adults will form in September and remain in their cocoon until the following spring when the cycle begins again. The females tend to live near to where they emerge and the boxes are designed to attract a number of nesting females, many of whose offspring will reuse their natal nests, so a permanent nesting population can be established in your garden.