27th August 2025

The first Ivy flowers of the autumn were open for business along Grove Road this morning. Lots of insects were taking advantage of this wonderful late-season nectar source including my first-of-the-year Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae). Ivy Bees are relative newcomers to our shores, being first recorded here in 2001. They are solitary mining bees but often hundreds of nests can bee seen in one small area. Ivy Bees rely on Ivy flowers and time their emergence to coincide with the opening of their favourite restaurant.

Ivy Bee