White faced bee's!

[Rashmika]

Well I am quite chuffed that the single white faced bee I had molesting my rosemary last year has turned into three or four this year.

I would like to encourage them further by giving them a bee box... I already have one in the garden. It is in use with leaf cutter bees, they're quite happy in the large bamboo sticks.

There are some smaller holes drilled into the wood further down though. I have noticed that two or three of these holes will sometimes have a head poking out. When the bee does come out, it is a tiny thing. Are these male leaf cutters waiting for females? They looked like minature Red Mason bees or are they a different species of solitary bee?

All of that aside, the bee box that I have obviously isn't to the taste of the white faced bee. I've read that they like sandy places or exposed soil...so I guess they're never going to go near a bee box?

[Geoff F]

I'm not sure which species you are referring to as 'White Faced Bee' and there are many species with white hair on their faces.

But, as you said; a lot, possibly most, species of bee nest in underground tunnels. The best you can do for them is to leave some areas of undisturbed soil, perhaps a sunny spot near a hedge or fence .

[eucera]

The ones with the white hair on the faces may well be the males of the mason bees that are using your bee hotel