20/05/2026
On the World Bee Day its good to remember that although the honeybee gets a lot of well-deserved attention, it’s just one piece of a much bigger picture.
There are over 20,000 species of wild bees worldwide, many of them specialising on doing pollination work that honeybees simply can’t. These bees don’t produce honey or live in sophisticated societies but their humble contribution is what keeps ecosystems flourishing.
Today we want to introduce our two new colleagues who will be residing in our managed wild bee hotels, providing pollination service and collecting biodiversity data from the environment.
On the left is the Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) who seals it’s nesting tubes with actual clay and is many times more efficient pollinator than the honeybee.
On the right, still shy in its cocoons, are the Willowherb Leafcutter Bees (Megachile lapponica) who are fantastic interior decorators as they line their nesting holes with perfectly cut pieces of leafs that provide a cozy home to hibernate in during the winter months.
Who is your favourite wild bee character? 🐝
