We often gets questions around this time of year about large numbers of small bees suddenly appearing, often in gardens or near walls. These tend to be Ivy bees, small solitary bees that are some of the last pollinators to emerge each year. Before you dismiss ivy as a pest or a tree-strangler (which it is not, they are not parasitic plants) remember that ivy is a much needed habitat, food source and shelter for many species including these little bees.

Ivy is late-flowering, its green and yellow baubles only appearing in September which makes it particularly important for all sorts of pollinators whose other food plants have long-since flowered. The ivy bee emerges from late August, timed so that they arrive with the ivy flowering, their main source of nectar.

Although they are solitary bees (they do not live in a colony with a queen like honey bees) they often nest in large groups of up to several thousand, with each female bee building her own nest. You may notice small ‘swarms’ in patches of sandy or bare soil as the females bring in food for the young, which pupate over winter, ready to emerge next year.

The ivy bee has been present in the Channel Islands since the 1970s but at the time was thought to be another closely-related species - the ivy bee was only discovered as a separate species in 1993. The first reached mainland UK in 2001, where it continues to expand its range northwards.

If you spot an ivy bee please do let the Wildlife Trust know in our sightings book or by emailing admin@alderneywildlife.org