Mining bee
Andrena spp.
Role in the garden
A species-rich genus of solitary spring bees, some very specialised: Andrena vaga collects pollen only from willows, A. florea only from bryony. An actor of early pollination.
Activity period
March to June
Practical guide
Where to find them
Lightly-mown lawns, banks, sandy path edges. Recognisable: a medium-sized bee, dense hairs, entering holes in the ground. Females carry the pollen on their hind legs like the honeybee.
Prevention
Leave areas of bare soil in full sun for the nests (south-east-facing banks). No chemical weeding of the lawn. Keep dandelions, primroses, crocuses, willows along the edges. No pesticide spreading during flowering.
Sources
- Vanderplanck, M., Bruneau, É. & Michez, D. (2009). Oligolectisme et décalage phénologique entre plante hôte et pollinisateur : étude de deux espèces printanières psammophiles, Colletes cunicularius (L.) et Andrena vaga (Panzer). Osmia, 3, 23-27.
- BWARS (Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Society) : Andrena florea (bwars.com)
Favourite plants / resources
Related plant entries
Strawberry
A perennial ground cover by runners, a pillar of the low layer in a forest garden. A companion of garlic and onion (documented tradition). To be renewed every 3-4 years from the young rooted runners. A refuge for adult hoverflies.
Cherry tree
A high layer (6-12 m). Early flowering in April, a frost risk to anticipate. Cross-pollination by mason bees and bees. The sweet-cherry tree (bigarreau) needs a compatible pollinator; the sour-cherry tree (morello) is self-fertile.
Blackthorn (sloe)
A thorny shrub with vigorous suckering, blackthorn forms dense, impenetrable hedges that protect the garden and shelter abundant wildlife (nesting, insect overwintering). Its early white flowering, from March before the leaves, offers one of the first sources of nectar and pollen of the year for bees coming out of overwintering.
Willow
A fast-growing pioneer tree of wetlands, the willow is among the very first resources for bees in spring. Easy to propagate from cuttings, it also serves as a windbreak hedge, in fascine work to stabilise banks, and its abundant biomass lends itself to mulching or the production of ramial wood.