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Native UK bees enhance your garden but they need homes!
Did you know that Britain has more than 254 species of
native bee? All of these bees play an essential role in
your garden by pollinating flowers. But these bees are becoming
scarce, with fewer wild flowers and suitable nest sites,
about 25 per cent of our native bees are now endangered
species.
The good news is that some of these bees rapidly adapt
to using nest boxes placed in gardens. The Oxford Bee Company has
designed bee nest boxes specifically for the Red Mason Bee
- a gentle native bee that is a very effective pollinator.
The boxes sometimes also attract Blue Mason Bee and two
species of Leaf-cutter bees.
In Britain, this bee's natural nest sites would normally
be found in old, mature hedgerows and along ragged, woodland
edge, where one might expect to find plenty of old bramble
and hogweed stems with broken ends or dead wood and fallen
trees. However, many of these nest sites have disappeared.
This is why gardens assume such importance for a wide range
of solitary bees.
The nest boxes mimic the natural nest sites of these bees
and comes with a complete set of instructions, and an outline
of the Red or Blue Mason Bee's life history.
Mason Bee Nests
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Bumblebee Nests
 Bumblebee nest
boxes are designed to attract nest-seeking queen bumblebees
in early spring, who will use them to rear a colony during
the summer.
To start a colony in your bumblebee nest it may be necessary
to catch a suitable bumblebee. Full instructions are included
with the nest, together with lots of information on these
fascinating and useful insects. Bumblebees are excellent
pollinators of a wide range of garden flowers and vegetables.
Ladybird Nests
 Ladybirds are
very useful predators of aphids (greenfly, blackfly etc.).
Ladybird nests provide hundreds of safe, snug roosting perches
for ladybirds to spend the winter and cold nights. Placed
in the garden, these ladybird houses will enourage these
beneficial insects.
More Information
- The Life History of the Red
& Blue Mason Bee
- Mason Bees Frequently Asked
Questions
- An Introduction to Bumblebees
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