What to look for: Early mining bees have rich brownish-red tails and thoraxes with black abdomens.
Favourite plants: Fruiting trees and shrubs
Making a nest: These, like other mining bees, build nests in small tunnels underground
When active: Early spring to summer
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. Males are smaller with lighter hair that can grey or whiten over time.
The females nest in small excavated tunnels underground. Often these can be found in loose, sandy soil close to their favourite fruit trees.