25 flowers used by solitary bees for nectar and pollen
Each one of the flowers is actually used by and in most cases, the bee is filmed actually foraging or has just finished foraging on it. All flowers were filmed in my garden, except for the parsnips growing on an allotment site where I was working. I left them to go to seed specifically for their flowers and it worked a treat.
Some years ago I saw a female Hairy-footed flower bee female (Anthophora plumipes) in my garden. Females with pollen can be mistaken for bumblebees. BWARS states that they are particularly fond of Lungwort. So off I went and bought some flowers and left them on a tray prior to being planted. This female could not wait for me to plant them!! For me, it’s great when you buy flowers for a particular bee and the bee uses them.
Well, I never! A male Wool carder bee foraging inside a foxglove
I am aware that bumblebees use foxgloves but never knew that Wool carder bees would also use them. I spotted this male going inside and just managed to film him as he exited.
Watch the film to see what flowers the solitary bees used.
“All my articles and videos, available free, are funded by my presentations and sales of award-winning bumblebee nest boxes, solitary bee boxes, and wormeries. Please help by spreading the word and forwarding this link to your friends and colleagues. https://nurturing-nature.co.uk Thank you” George Pilkington
There are many more flowers to attract solitary bees and I am compiling another list for another film.
Download a BWARS Hairy-footed flower bee information sheet
For info and link to buy an excellent book Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland by Steven Falk
An extremely useful resource supports this book by a special website feature within Steve Falk’s Flickr website which furnishes extra photos and other useful resources to assist with identification.
Solitary Bees book by Ted Benton
Interested in Citizen Science and pollinators? The Buzz Club
Recent Comments