When we talk of Bees, we usually think of the thrumming horde which is a honey bee hive.
But did you know that weight for weight solitary bee species tend to be much more prolific pollinators than the humble honey bee?
Take for example this leaf cutter bee.
She will spend this season looking for, or creating her own hollow tubes to nest in. Then she will start to cut discs from leaves and line the inner walls of her nest sites.
This is so as her larva and their food ages within the nest, the ambient environmental humidity remains near an optimal level.
Solitary bees such as these can often be misidentified, overlooked or simply discounted for the roles they play in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
So by all means, dote on our honey bees, but also spare a thought in your day for the other less sociable bees.
