Are these even Bees?? See embedded video

[Yodders]

Hi Folks

Hope as bee people you might be able to help here: I was digging in the garden and noticed thee were quite a lot of these insects about. Think they might be bees and must have a nest close by (presumably subterranean?) Was wondering if they definitely were bees, what type and why they were so interested in the newly dug soil? What exactly are they up to in the video?

I was hoping to tru the soil over in this area to a depth of about 20mm soon to seed some wild flowers, ironically to attract bees and other wildlife. This area is currently bare earth following some recent landscaping work we have had done.

Any advice most welcome.

Thanks

NB Just tried to post with link but won't let me as I am a new user, might have to copy and paste this into your browser. Thanks.

youtu.be/fnQ5ThvKA0w

 

[VEG]

link wont work for me when pasted into browser

 

[Yodders]

Might need to put h t t p : / / in front of it (without the spaces), forum rules wouldn't allow me to do that either

 

[flemage]

with out looking at the vid I would say some kind of bumble bee we have a some where they have 'mined' into bare earth bank which was made last year. As you have turned the ground over I would think they are trying to look for their holes leading to nests?

 

[Skyhook]

Try this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnQ5ThvKA0w&feature=youtu.be

Definitely bees. I'm not good on the wild species but possibly tawny mining bee? If they are then they are solitary, in that each one digs it's own burrow; but they like to live in 'villages', where you get a number in an area perhaps 1-2 metres across. Is it possible to watch them, see if they are working in a particular section, and work around that?

ps I don't know if they can sting, but I've never heard of anyone being stung by one.

.

 

[Yodders]

Thanks Skyhook! Solitary Bee's living in villages might actually fit the bill. I can't see them all going back to one particular point but there are maybe half a dozen or so on the go at any one time. They seem to go into various crevasses here and there.

I'll do my best not to disturb them, but I think I am happier that in my digging I am less likely to hit and damage a single nest (and have a swarm of angry bees after me!!)

Thanks again! Really very awesome of you

 

[Easy Beesy]

If it is osmia spp then they won't be there for long. Very unlikely to sting and safe to sit beside and watch. I envy you. My garden is so wet, all I have is slugs & snails! The young will emerge soon, males first then females. They will fly away to mate and your garden will be beeless once again.

 

[Yodders]

That's so awesome I am really quite thrilled of the wildlife in our very suburban garden. Our neighbour just found a slow worm this evening.

I can't wait to seed that patch with wild flowers and let nature take it's course.

 

[Yodders]

Has another reply on YouTube channel direct suggesting it might be a Red Mason Bee

 

[Gimlet]

Definately Osmia Rufa. I've been looking them up myself recently because they have taken up residence in my log cabin. Every knot hole and open joint, hundreds of them.

They've even been investigating old screw holes on the sides and back of my active long hive and checking out my bait hive. The honey bees seem to ignore them as long as they stay away from the entrance.

Here they have been mating on the flagstones below the cabin, males have white head tuft and females have black tuft, they then seem to go right back to the knot holes they came from to lay their eggs and start all over again. Certainly not going away anywhere.

 

[Skyhook]

If that's the case they're not living in the ground, just collecting mud, so you should be OK to go ahead with your cultivation- maybe leave a small bare patch for them.

 

[Ely]

We have hundreds of these buzzing on our red brick farmhouse walls