Curious behavior

[jayell]

Yesterday I observed a honeybee enter the keyhole of my kitchen door. A short while later it flew out. Then a little later it flew in again. Not requiring a nest inside my door I removed the brass handle plate and was amazed to see a collection of pollen packed in the hollow part of the brass casting. I cleaned this out and taped up the keyhole. For a couple of hours after there was a very confused bee flying around the handle. I didn't like doing it but what could I have done different? Was this rare or normal behavior?

jayell

[crazy_bull]

Hi

Sounds like some form of solitary bee, they build heaps of pollen then lay an egg in each heap which then develops into another solitary bee, they are generally very plassid and i have never been stung by them but don't know if they can.

[Chris]

This sounds like the normal behaviour of a leaf cutter bee. Nornally they might choose a screw hole in a wooden bench or something.

[ChrisBroad]

Mason Bees. Red ones use mud in nest building, Blue ones are the leaf cutters. Otherwise very similar. The red ones in particular are easily mistaken for honeybees as the colour ranges from yellow to orange to brownish.