European Orchard Bee

Fascinating facts about the European Orchard Bee

• At just 10-15 mm long, the European orchard bee fits into a coffee cup, yet it can nest in holes only 8-9 mm wide and 20-25 cm deep, building linear rows of up to 12 brood cells. The bee mixes moist earth or loam with saliva to seal each cell, and when the surface is dry many females crowd together, digging several centimeters deep to reach damp material. This tiny architect's precise size requirements let gardeners provide simple wooden blocks.
• The bee bursts onto the scene as early as mid-March, often while Scilla flowers are just opening, and females start foraging at about 10 °C. Their main nesting rush runs from mid-March to early May, peaking at the end of April and beginning of May, with a single generation that finishes by June.
• Unlike honey-bees, Osmia cornuta carries no pollen baskets on its hind legs and never makes honey; instead it packs pollen and nectar straight into its nest cells. Researchers have recorded pollen from 14 plant families in its loads, with Prunus, Salix and Acer dominating in southern Germany, while Spanish apple orchards see a surge of Malus pollen when it's easy to reach. This flexible foraging makes the bee a valuable pollinator for almonds, pome fruits.
• The bee prefers warm microclimates and is most common below 500 m elevation, though it has been spotted at 728 m in the Black Forest. It thrives in city centers, nesting in house walls, plaster cracks and drainage pipes, and even colonises artificial nesting aids attached to walls. Its spread across Europe, from Portugal to Kazakhstan, and recent first record in Great Britain in 2017.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the European Orchard Bee

In the warm, sun-drenched orchards of Europe, a diminutive yet formidable creature flits from blossom to blossom, collecting nectar and pollen with industrious precision - the European Orchard Bee, a master of solitary endeavour. With its robust, hairy body and remarkable facility for flight, this tiny bee navigates the intricate landscape of petals and branches with an air of quiet confidence, its every movement a testament to its remarkable adaptability. As it moves through the world, the European Orchard Bee leaves behind a trail of subtle, yet profound, influence - a gentle pollinator, weaving an intricate web of life amidst the vibrant tapestry of the orchard.

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