Solitary Bee
Apis mellifera
Appearance
- Often similar to the honey bee.
Lifecycle
- Colony size - small nests which are individually tended by a female.
- Preferred nest sites - often in soil, sometimes in soft cement and mortar between bricks.
- Nest construction - various materials. Usually a new nest each year.
Habits
- Swarming - does not swarm.
- Overwintering - usually in the pupal stage within the nest.
- Food preferences - honey and pollen.
- Rarely stings.