Solitary Bee Life Cycle

Osmia bees are tunnel nesting bees. They hatch at varying times during the growing season depending on the species of bee (for more specific times of hatching see the pages for individual bees). Once they hatch they mate and the females begin finding a nest. Once she decides on a tube or nest hole she will fly in a zigzag motion and memorise its exact location. She will also clean the tube of dust and debris and mark it with a pheromone to warn other bees the tube is in use. After this process she will fly off in search of proper nesting materials. Blue Orchard Mason Bees need clay whereas Alfalfa Leafcutter bees like soft flexible leaves. The bee will then begin collecting pollen and nectar that will feed her offspring. The mother bee may take up to 75 different flower visits to collect enough pollen for one trip back to the nest and will take between 15-40 trips for one egg. That is a lot of pollination! Once there is enough pollen she will lay down some nectar and lay one egg. She then builds a wall completely enclosing her egg. She will repeat the process again until the tube is full then she will move on to another tube. This happens until the mother bee dies. The eggs will then mature inside the tube over the winter and will be available to pollinate the next season.

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