Mining bees are solitary bees that prefer to make nests underground in loose, sandy soil. Each nest can extend out to 60cm and can easily be spotted by the volcano-shaped mound that marks the. There are around 100 species of these solitary bees in the UK with most looking like small honeybees.
Ashy Mining Bee
Ashy Mining Bees have white faces and two grey bands that lap their black abdomens that can appear a shimmering blue in certain light.
Early Mining Bee
The early mining bee is one of the earliest risers when spring first breaks. This solitary bee has a rich brownish-red-coloured tail and thorax with a black abdomen.
Long-Horned Bee
Long-horned bees are one of the UK’s largest solitary bee species. It is easily identified by the males’ remarkably long antennae. These bees are black with dark orange tufts of fur on their thoraxes.
Tawny Mining Bee
The Tawny Mining Bee is one of the more distinctive species in the UK. Their bodies are covered in reddish-orange fur and have black faces. The males tend to be smaller than the females with more brown colouring.