Tawny Mining Bee- April is the best time to spot this harmless solitary Bee- in lawns, flower-beds, gardens, parks and farmland. Little ‘volcanoes’ of mud appear for a couple of weeks (see photo).The female, which mines the nest, and lays a single egg in each of the underground chambers, also gathers all the pollen and nectar for the young, before sealing the nest. She is a beautiful, fluffy ginger bee and is a great
Tawny Mining Bee- female, flying
Tawny Mining Bee nest
Tawny Mining Bee
Tawny Mining Bee- female
pollinator of fruit trees and early flowering crops like Rape-seed. The male is smaller, and has a pale tuft of hairs on its face. The young hatch the following spring. Leave the nests, if you find them- one of many species of solitary bees, these do only good in our gardens. Conditions: Cloudy, with light showers. Temperature: Max 12- Min 6C.
Male Tawny Mining Bee
Sheffield city nature diary by Penny Philcox 