You've found one of the UK's hardest-working spring bees!

🐝 What makes her special?

The Red Mason Bee is a solitary bee — that means no hive, no queen, and no workers. Every female works alone to raise her young.

She uses her strong jaws to carry mud, sealing off small holes in wood, walls, or bee hotels. Inside each hole, she builds a row of tiny rooms, each one with:

A scoop of nectar and pollen
A single egg
A carefully sealed mud wall

She often nests in:

Crumbling mortar and wall crevices
Hollow stems and beetle holes
Purpose-built bee hotels (like the one you just found!)

🐣 Her amazing life cycle

Spring: Females appear and start nesting
Summer: Eggs hatch into larvae, which eat the stored pollen
Autumn: The larvae turn into pupae and hibernate all winter
Next spring: New adult bees chew their way out and begin again!

🌸 Why she matters

Red Mason Bees are vital for pollination, especially in early spring when few other bees are flying. Just one of these bees can pollinate as many flowers as 100 honeybees!

They’re especially important for:

Apple, cherry, and pear trees
Wildflowers and spring blossom
Helping gardens and crops grow

And don’t worry — she’s gentle and very unlikely to sting.

⚠️ What’s the problem?

Bees like the Red Mason Bee face growing challenges:

Fewer wildflowers to feed on
Loss of natural nesting sites
Pesticides and pollution
Climate change disrupting their rhythms

Even though this species is still common, many solitary bees are declining fast. They don’t fly far — so they need friendly places close by to survive.

🌍 What you can do to help

🐝 Find the free seed packet on the trail!
Take it home and plant it in a garden, window box, balcony, school or open space.

🐝 Build a bee hotel using drilled logs or bamboo canes.

🐝 Avoid garden chemicals and let some wildflowers bloom — even dandelions help!

🐝 Tell your school, family or neighbours — every little patch makes a difference.

📍 Red Mason Bees are active March to early summer.
They’re gentle, brilliant, and might already be nesting in your garden wall!

🛣 What’s a bee highway?

Bees need safe “stepping stones” between food and nest spots. A bee highway is a trail of wildflower-friendly spaces — parks, gardens, balconies, even verges.

If we all grow a patch of wildflowers, we create a network of safe places for bees to feed, rest and nest.

Your seed packet could be the next stop on their journey.