Bees in barn conversion... please identify (photos)

[ian_uk1975]

Discovered 7 bees this evening all in and around the kitchen window in a barn conversion I'm currently renting. They're small (about 10mm in length) and were very lethargic (probably because it was quite cool in there at the time). A few seemed to be 'hiding' in nooks and crannies; I found 1 under my kitchen roll holder (the freestanding type that sits on the worktop), 1 nestled in the crevice on the underside of the arm that opens the kitchen window and another crept into a tiny little gap between the splashbacks and the brickwork that it couldn't even fit its whole body into.

I've done some Googling and I'm pretty sure these are Red Mason solitary bees which don't sting. Here is the little guy I found under the kitchen roll holder...














Any experts out there who can positively identify this bee?

Thanks.

[Some Gump]

I think they're bee gees.
I doubt they are hiding o ambush you, they're just stayin' alive.

[mrsshpub]

The identification info on the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust website may help.

[Slink]

aah, the lesser spotted furry bee.

i would burn the barn down just to be sure that the nest is gone!

[Nightmare]

I agree with you - masonry bees of some sort. They're awesome...we have similar living in the garden....fairly shortly a number of teeny soil volcanoes will appear when they dig themselves out! Def can't sting and are only a nuisance when using sand as they like following you about and digging holes in it when you aren't looking!

[ian_uk1975]

Thanks. Agree they're awesome little fellas... there are some more down there now and as I was having a nose, one of them actually backed into a little crevice to hide like he was shy, haha.