Hello - I'm a grower of cut flowers and currently have hundreds of ivy bees (Colletes hederae) in my polytunnel! This has never happened before so I'm just trying to figure out what to do with them/whether to do anything at all? I've read that they're not dangerous and I've been working in there quite happily alongside the bees but just wonder whether anyone has any information about them. They are very active on warm days, but don't seem to feed much. I haven't spotted any nesting site anywhere - apparently they like sandy soil and we have solid clay! Can they be collected somehow and brought outside? Any information would be gratefully received, thank you!
I'm afraid I don't know anything about Ivy Bees (Just googling them now)
How easily can they get out? What flowers are attracting them?
Sorry I can't be more helpful!
http://www.bwars.com/content/colletes-hederae-faqs
it forages almost exclusively at flowers of Ivy, and flies only from September to mid-November (ie during the flowering period of Ivy).