Your garden may be winding down for the year, but inside every sealed tunnel of your bee box something quietly remarkable is going on. Last month we looked at how solitary bees spend September. Now let's peek at what October brings.
Snug in their cocoons
If red mason bees nested in your box this spring, the next generation has now finished growing. Each one is a fully formed adult bee, tucked up inside its silky cocoon behind a little mud wall. It will stay there through the winter and wait for the warmth of spring before chewing its way out.
Leafcutter bees do things a little differently. Their young spend the winter as resting larvae, wrapped in leaf-lined cells, and finish turning into bees once the weather warms up.
So that sealed tunnel isn't empty. It's a nursery on pause.
The last bee of the year: meet the ivy bee
While most solitary bees are resting, one is still busy. The ivy bee is one of the last UK bees on the wing each year, and it times its whole life around flowering ivy.
On a sunny October afternoon, have a look at a patch of ivy in bloom. You may spot ivy bees with their neat ginger-and-cream stripes, feeding alongside wasps and hoverflies. It's a lovely "go and look" moment for families and classrooms.
What you can do this month
- Leave occupied tunnels alone. The bees inside are best left undisturbed, so keep your box securely in place.
- Plan your autumn tidy. October and November are the time to harvest, inspect and clean. We'll be sharing a step-by-step harvest guide soon.
- Let some ivy flower. If you have ivy, let a little of it bloom. It's a vital late meal for bees and other pollinators.
Why open modules make autumn easier
Many bee hotels are sealed or made from tubes you can't open, which makes them hard to check and clean. Each BeeLife module opens up, so when the time is right you can see inside, check on your cocoons and give the chambers a clean ready for next spring. Take a look at our observation box to see how they work.
Coming up in November
Next month, we'll look at how solitary bees get through the colder weather, and how you can help your box's residents have a safe and peaceful winter.