Warning! This blog has a high bee content so only if you are interested in the bees as well as the garden :).
My bee houses have been rewarding me with lots of activity from the Osmia cornuta in the past weeks. I’m sure they don’t need any help to find hollow nesting places but when they choose my hollow bamboo canes or drilled-out wood I have the pleasure of watching their antics.
The first I know that some bees have hatched is the frantic activity of the males. This 17 second video gives you an idea of what it looks like.
I admire the tenacity of the males who guard the holes against all comers. You can get the idea in this 16 second video.
The male can be easily recognised by the little tuft of white hair on his head. They are around several weeks before the females eventually hatch and then the excitement really mounts.
The mating is not an elegant affair and this pair managed to get stuck in…
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a french garden 