What to look for: These bees have white faces and two grey bands across their black bodies which can look blue in certain light
Favourite plants: Dandelions, buttercups, bluebells, daisies, brambles, blackthorn, hogweed, and other wildflowers
Making a nest: Nest in excavated tunnels underground
When active: Spring to summer
Where seen: Across England and Wales
Ashy mining bees
Ashy mining bees have white faces and two grey bands that lap their black abdomens that can appear a shimmering blue in certain light. These distinctive pollinators, like other mining bees, build nests in narrow tunnels underground, marked by a volcano-shaped mound rising from the soil at the entrance.
The ashy mining bee is widespread across England and Wales and can be found in summer in woodland, grassland, parks and gardens. Known to forage on a diverse variety of plants you will often find them around dandelions, buttercups, bluebells, daisies, brambles, blackthorn and hogweed.