Solitary bees
Over 90% of our bee species are solitary, and although these solitary species may often nest in dense populations, each nest is the work of a single female.
The offspring of those solitary bees active in spring complete their development in the late summer and over-winter as adults, emerging the following year. Offspring of the later-appearing species over-winter as full grown larvae and mature the following spring.
There is a selection of common solitary bees that can be found in Britain’s gardens. These can be formed into two groups, the Mining Bees and the Cavity Nesting Bees.
