Plagued by bees - id please

[Paul_Corfield]

For the last two days I've had a continuous stream of these little bees scouring the brickwork of the house. I presume they are solitary and looking for holes to nest in but in all my life I've never seen so many of them in one place at the same time just buzzing around the house. Yesterday it went on all day long and today looks like being the same.

This one got trapped in a spiders web which was unfortunate for the bee but made it easier to get a photo. Any ideas on the id?

Thanks,

Paul.

[Lance Morgan]

red Mason Bee Osmia rufa

[Teal]

My guess is one of the mason bees. We get them in and around the house brickwork, especially betwen the tiles but they also dig tunnels in the soil.

[Jim Ford]

Some time ago I told my wife they're solitary bees. She now calls them 'lonely bees'. I haven't the heart to put her straight!

Jim

[Paul_Corfield]

Not sure it's a Red Mason bee as the photos on the web all look a little different. These don't look anywhere near as hairy as the Red Mason. Managed to clean all the cobwebs off and took a better photo.

Paul.

[eucera]

Honey bees, Apis mellifera.

[eucera]

Originally Posted by Teal

....but they also dig tunnels in the soil.

Osmia rufa doesn't nest in the ground. What you have seen (and this is rarely observed) are the bees mining damp mud for constructing their brood cells. They are very fussy about the consistency of the mud they need and it is often a rare resource

[Paul_Corfield]

Originally Posted by eucera

Honey bees, Apis mellifera.

Thanks eucera, I think that must be it. Strange why so many are congregating around my house the last couple of days. Maybe scouting around for a new home.

Paul.