Sweat Bee
Small to medium metallic-green or black bees, often with striking iridescent colouring. One of the most common native bee groups, active from spring through autumn.
Why you want them
Sweat bees are among the most diverse and abundant native bee families. Their small size allows them to access flowers that larger bees cannot enter, making them valuable pollinators of small-flowered plants and wildflowers. They are generalist foragers and contribute to pollination across the whole garden season. Some species are partially social, others entirely solitary. Their metallic green sheen makes them beautiful garden visitors.
How to attract them
- Aster
- Goldenrod
- Clover
- Yarrow
- Phacelia
- Sunflower
- Coriander flower
Preferred habitat
Bare or sparsely vegetated ground, short-cropped turf, and occasionally hollow stems. Most species nest in the soil; some nest in rotting wood.
What harms them
Pesticide use, loss of bare ground nesting habitat, and replacement of diverse garden planting with monoculture lawns.
Garden, by Willowbottom works with nature, not against it. Support your garden allies and they will do most of the hard work for you.