Introduction to Solitary Bees

There three types of bees found in Britain: Honey Bees, Bumblebees and Solitary Bees. The Honey Bee and the Bumblebee are social bees and live in colonies . However, the majority of the UK bee species are what are known as ‘solitary’ bees. This means the females build their nests and collect provisions for their young alone. They also do not survive to see their own offspring which usually emerge the following year.

The morning of this course will be spent in the classroom finding out about the ecology of solitary bees and the best places to find them. There will be a further presentation focusing on their identification, which will introduce the different groups of solitary bees and highlight some of the more common species.

After lunch, we will explore the wildlife garden at Tyland Barn. There will be plenty of time to practise catching solitary bees with a net and having a closer look at them in the field.

There will be opportunities throughout the day to look at the different identification resources available for this group and there will be a chance to look more closely at specimens in the classroom.

It is expected that by the end of the day you will:

• Have gained a better understanding of the ecology of solitary bees and where to find them
• Be able to recognise some of the more common solitary bee species
• Be confident catching and examining solitary bees in the field

Suitable for beginners

Led by Rosie Bleet, Ecological Evidence and Citizen Science Lead for Kent Wildlife Trust

Photo: Andrena nitida or mining bee (Rosie Bleet)

For further information, please visit the Study Days page of the Kent Wildlife Trust website.

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