Solitary Bees: Unsung Heroes of Pollination

In the UK we have around 267 different species of bee. Just one of these is our native honey bee (the type you would see if you visited one of our community apiaries) and only 25 are bumble bees. Honey bees and bumble bees are no doubt the 2 best-known types of bees. They are similar in the fact that they are both social, which means they live in communities with a queen and colony.

The other 90%, around 240 species which are often overlooked, are known as solitary bees. As the name suggests, these bees do not live in hives nor have a queen.

Pollenize Co-Founder Owen Finnie has recently been working in partnership with the Arts University Plymouth (AUP) to raise awareness amongst students about the important role solitary bees have within our ecosystem. The Plymouth University provides creative education at undergraduate, postgraduate and pre-degree level, specialising in the fields of art, design, crafts and media.

Please take a look at our slideshow presentation below which was shared with the AUP students. It takes a closer look at some of our amazing native solitary bees, their habitats, nesting lifecycles and foraging patterns:

At Pollenize, we know that ALL pollinators need our help and although our work with honey bees is vitally important for species conservation and scientific research, it is also a great segue for getting the people engaged with pollinator conservation as a whole. Check out our previous blog, which highlights the many ways in which we are aligning our work with the National Pollinator Strategy.

If you’re based around the Plymouth area and would be interested in having a Pollenize Solitary Bee and Bug Hotel at your workplace, find out more and enquire here!