Bee holes?

[smartie]

Might this..



have made these?



And, if so, can anyone tell me what kind of bee she is? Not the best photos - I'm still getting used to the macro on the new camera, but I hope good enough for an ID. The shiny thing is a penny, if it doesn't come out too well on the screen. There were three holes and I think I saw her crawl out of one of them. But I was trying hard not to step on them - and her - at the time

[aeshna5]

Mining Bees certainly make those sort of holes; I used to get many similar holes from Andrena fulva on the lawn + bare areas of well-drained soil. Your bee looks like an Adrena, but Eucera is the expert on these guys, so I'll wait for him to give definitive ID!

[Lammergeier]

We dug out a border from our lawn to plant with wildflower mix and sprinkled sand over the seeds after scattering them. Within days I had the same holes appear. There must be at least 20-odd burrows now that I can see and they've been exceptionally active over the last several days of sunny weather. They're among the earliest of bees to appear and are very important garden pollinators. They are completely placid and great to watch.

[eucera]

Yep... definitely bee burrows. The specimen looks like Andrena carantonica (sometimes referred to by its synonym A. scotica). It is interesting if this IS A. carantonica, because the species is one of only 3 species of Andrena in UK that will nest communally. This means that a number of females may share a single broad nest entrance and will excavate their individual nests off this communal "lobby" area (very much like apartment blocks).

A. carantonica is common and widespread, and one of many of the second wave of spring Andrenas (after the small group of Salix specialists that emerge in early March)

S

[smartie]

Thanks, Eucera. I'll keep an eye out to see if there is any evidence of communal activity. There are four holes now, inconveniently (for me, that is) close to the door of my toolshed. If they stay around I'm not sure how we'll get the mower out