In article ,
Nick wrote:

I agree entirely.
Unfortunately this infestation is on the S facing wall at the front of the
cottage. Warm weather, windows and doors open. Children playing. Insects
buzzing around within the house. I feel this would be naturally worrisome to
caring (young) parents.

Well, only to ones who have lived all of their lives in cities,
which I agree is most of the UK. I am not saying that education is
necessarily easy, because they will have been indoctrinated into
the Synthetic Society all of their lives.

At dusk windows and doors close. Insects trapped within the building. They
will be fretting, as will the other occupants.
The link sent by David Hill seems to describe the situation very well. It
also appears that the female of the species can sting (why does this not
surprise me).

It's like bumble bees. When one gets trapped inside, I usually just
cup it in my hands to let it out. I get stung a couple of times a
year, but only by treading on them in bare feet, never just by handling
them.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Hello All

I had this variety at my last house in Chester, and it was fascinating to see
them working. They never stung me or any of my children.

Now down in Suffolk I "enjoy" another variety of these solitary bees. This
one lays its eggs in some of my cactus pots. Most of the young seem to hatch
out on the same day, and on that day I have 50-100 bees flying around in my
greenhouse waiting for the automatic vents to open.

I would prefer it if I could persuade them to nest in pots full of gritty
soil with no plants growing in them, but I have not succeded yet. I do lose
an occasional cactus plant due to root disturbance, but it is worth it to
provide them with a home.

Mine line their excavations with bits of leaf cut from plants mainly of the
genus Rosaceae

John

--
John Rye
Hadleigh IPSWICH England
http://www.ryepad.plus.com
--- Using RISC OS Six on an Acorn StrongArm RiscPC and under VARPC ---

On 05/05/2013 13:35, John Rye wrote:
Hello All

I had this variety at my last house in Chester, and it was fascinating to see
them working. They never stung me or any of my children.

Now down in Suffolk I "enjoy" another variety of these solitary bees. This
one lays its eggs in some of my cactus pots. Most of the young seem to hatch
out on the same day, and on that day I have 50-100 bees flying around in my
greenhouse waiting for the automatic vents to open.

I would prefer it if I could persuade them to nest in pots full of gritty
soil with no plants growing in them, but I have not succeded yet. I do lose
an occasional cactus plant due to root disturbance, but it is worth it to
provide them with a home.

Mine line their excavations with bits of leaf cut from plants mainly of the
genus Rosaceae

John

Sound like leaf cutter bees http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/leafcutter-bee.html