Bee or wasp for ID

[PeterD]

I saw several of these on an embankment yesterday. They seemed to be landing , looking for something then digging rapidly into the soil.

Were they hunting for prey or digging to protect themselves against the weather changes to come?

Could someone please Id these for me?







Thank you

[Dillybythesea]

Unless I'm much mistaken these are Ivy Mining Bees Colletes hederae - great little bees. They've only just emerged as adults in the last week or two. The females make burrows in sandy substrates and collect pollen to put into pods they create off a central tunnel, and then will put an egg in each pod and close the tunnel up, and go off to die. Their offspring will overwinter underground, through the spring and summer and not emerge until now when the ivy has come into flower. There's a fact sheet on them on BWARS website...
http://bwars.com/Files%204%20dow..._infosheet.pdf

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by Dillybythesea

Unless I'm much mistaken these are Ivy Mining Bees Colletes hederae - great little bees. They've only just emerged as adults in the last week or two. The females make burrows in sandy substrates and collect pollen to put into pods they create off a central tunnel, and then will put an egg in each pod and close the tunnel up, and go off to die. Their offspring will overwinter underground, through the spring and summer and not emerge until now when the ivy has come into flower. There's a fact sheet on them on BWARS website...
http://bwars.com/Files%204%20downloa..._infosheet.pdf

Thank you so much for your ID and the additional information, plus, of course, the link to the fact sheet. Greatly appreciated.

[Jason Green]

Colletes is correct., nest-building as said.

[PeterD]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Colletes is correct., nest-building as said.

Good afternoon Jason. Thanks for your confirmation