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MORTAR, MINING & BUMBLEBEES
What do they look like?
There are two main groups of bees in this country, social and solitary.
Solitary bees are by far the largest group with over 200 species. In this country they have such a varied lifestyle that it would not be possible to cover them all in this leaflet. Therefore, we will try to explain the life cycle of mortar, mining and bumblebees only.
Mortar / Mining Bees
Both these species of bees vary in size and colour and are generally hairy. They look much like Honeybees.
Bumblebees
Bumblebees differ form other bees in that they lead social lives, with many adults living and working in a single nest. Bumblebees seen in the garden in early spring have been hibernating during the winter. They are all young queens who will spend the next few weeks eating pollen and nectar before seeking nesting sites.
How do I spot them?
Solitary bees nest close together giving the impression of communal life, however, each female lives alone. Mortar bees excavate a chamber approximately 20mm deep in soft mortar joints in brick walls, whereas mining bees excavate chambers in the soft sandy soil of lawns and gardens. The chamber is stocked with pollen and nectar and eggs are laid. The chamber is then sealed.
Most bumblebees make their nests on or under the ground taking over old nests of mice and voles. South facing hedge banks are favourite sites.
How do they affect me?
Bees are regarded as beneficial insects. Their collection of pollen from flowering plants is of great value by assisting in the evolution and distribution of flowers by transferring pollen from one to another. Many bumblebee and mining/solitary bee species are rare or endangered and actually have Biodiversity Action Plans (This link will open in a new window) to try to maintain and restore populations.
How do they live?
Solitary bees eggs hatch to produce a larvae, which feeds on the pollen and nectar before pupating. The pupae hatch to produce a bee. This process may take a whole year to complete and the parent will have died before the offspring emerge.
Adult mining and mortar bees only live for a short time each year normally from April-July. These bees often get confused with wasps in the early spring. However they are not aggressive and do not sting.
The bumblebee Queen constructs a chamber of fine grass and other material. She secretes a wax from glands on her abdomen to make a small cup like cell in the centre of the nest. The Queen partly fills the cell with pollen and lays a number of eggs in it before roofing it over with more wax. At the same time the Queen makes a wax honey pot in which to store honey for when she is unable to forage due to bad weather. As soon as the eggs hatch the Queen opens the cell to provide the grub with more pollen and honey. The grubs pupate in a silken cocoon and approximately one month after the eggs are laid adults emerge. These new bees are all females, smaller than the Queen and their reproductive systems are not fully developed. They are the workers. The Queen remains in the nest after this and busies herself by making more egg cells and laying more eggs. Several batches of workers are produced in this way during the summer and the bee colony may grow to more than 300 workers.
After a time the Queen's ability to lay eggs falls off and fewer larvae are produced. The ratio or workers to larvae increases so that they get more food. The extra food causes these larvae to develop into new Queens instead of workers. At the same time the Queen lays some unfertilised which although develop in the normal way give rise to male bees. Males and females leave the nest to mate. The males will die shortly afterwards. The fertilised Queen will then find somewhere to hibernate over winter. The old Queen and workers will all die by the end of the summer leaving the hibernating Queen to continue the species for another year.
How do I control them?
Bumblebees are not aggressive providing they are well left alone. It is unwise to destroy bees without first considering an alternative method of control.
Will South Cambridgeshire District Council treat a bee infestation?
No, we do not offer a service for the destruction of bees. Honeybees can be relocated at the discretion of your local beekeeper (search for beekeepers at yell.co.uk (This link will open in a new window)).
Useful links
- Cambridgeshire Beekeeper's Association - CBKA (This link will open in a new window)
