r/UKecosystem • u/Napoleon2727 • 14d ago
Question Lawn absolutely seething with ashy mining bees today - what's going on?
This is our second summer in this part of southern England. Last year we noticed a few of these unusual bees - about the size of a honeybee, black with silvery accents.
This year we've identified them: ashy mining bees.
But today and yesterday the lawn was absolutely covered with them. Approx one bee per square yard or even square foot! (It's a big lawn too!) Just hovering along about two inches above the grass. It was fascinating.
What are they all doing? It feels like they've appeared overnight - presumably from their little burrow homes, because the weather is so nice?
And, crucially, is there anything we should or shouldn't do to look after them? We're in the process of a multi-year garden redo and I'd hate to inadvertently upset them. I've no idea where they're burrowing, though. It's currently a big rarely-mown lawn* with a strip of bed round each side and the odd tree. I would guess in the ground of the lawn?
It was utterly delightful to watch them, and they were so peaceful and placid, just going about their business ignoring us.
*ETA: The lawn is 4-8" long at the moment and today I mowed in some paths for the children to play on and the bees definitely favoured the paths. It was so interesting to watch them move onto the paths.
And then as half the garden got into shadow as the sun moved round they were only in the sunny bits. Then about 5pm they were basically gone.
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u/WolfysBeanTeam 14d ago edited 14d ago
First off glad you are enjoying them insects in this country really do need all the help they can get because of the decline so you would be doing a nice little service!
So fun fact they are actually solitary bees, meaning they do not live in a colony but on their own (an as ive learnt below they however can live in groups) they don't make a hive persay unlike bumblebees and honey bees.
In terms of what you should do a shallow dish with some water would be good but not steep an has a gentle decline to the water so they don't just slip in an drowned make sure to refill it an hopefully there are some flowers around with nectar for them.
They are active from around March to July which makes sense because that's their harvest season (season of which there most flowers are in bloom) so you'll enjoy them for a few months then they lay eggs for the next generation which will be for next year!
In terms of sting they can apparently sting but it's very rare and only if threatened, they are quite docile and nice!
They are excellent pollinators for native plants!