A bee using one of the bee boxes on display outside the shop. Thing is, this is a bumble bee box, but the bee is a solitary bee of some type.She was entering the tube and about 3-4 mins later out she popped and flew away only to return a few mins later to repeat the performance. Intrigued as to what exactly she was up to, we peeped into the box to find she'd bunged up the end of the tube-like so.
Leaf cutter bees create cells in a long channel. They line them with cut leaves that they bring home and then lay an egg in the cell with some pollen and nectar and cap it off with more leaves. Very tidy. They repeat the process creating a line of brood in a row nose to tail (so to speak) and they hatch and nibble their way out to emerge all in order. Not quite sure how they work things out because it's a first in last out kind of thing!We are watching this space to see if she carries on or notices the proper solitary bee habitat on the shelf next to it!
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