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Mortar Bees

Mortar, or mason, bees are essentially solitary creatures. They are non-aggressive and gentle.

They are active for a few months during late spring and early summer. Holes are excavated in walls for the female to lay her eggs. The damage done is rarely serious in the short term and only soft (old) lime mortar is generally affected.

They are solitary, however they do work as a colony and will return to the same piece of wall over many generations. The damage is caused as the adult bee mines a tunnel into the soft mortar between bricks to lay her eggs. These will all have a small amount of food in the hole then be sealed to protect the grub. The grubs develop and emerge as adults to over-winter elsewhere before returning the following year to complete the cycle.

There are many types of mining bees. Often you may find small piles of soil with a 5 to 7mm tunnel in the centre. These can be in the lawn or flowerbed. These bees once again are placid gentle creatures and are often best left alone.