What to look for: These bees have a pale grey-yellow colouring with black stripes across their abdomen, a black band of hair behind their wings and an orange tail
Favourite plants: Vetches, white dead-nettle, clover, birds-foot trefoil, red bartsia, knapweed, thistles and other fruiting plants, herbs and wildflowers
Making a nest: Nest in colonies on the ground or underground
When active: Spring to summer
Where seen: Across southern England and Wales
Shrill Carder Bees
Shrill carder bees are one of the rarest species in the UK. These bees have a pale grey-yellow colouring with black stripes across their abdomen, a black band of hair behind their wings and an orange tail.
Shrill carder bees can only be seen in small patches across southern England and Wales throughout summer. They are more likely to be found in areas rich in their favourite flowers, including vetches, white dead-nettle, clover, birds-foot trefoil, red bartsia, knapweed, thistles and other fruiting plants, herbs and wildflowers.
These social bees nest in colonies in thick vegetation on the found or just below the surface in disused holes.