Non-honey bees

Whereas the majority of bees nest in the ground, there is also quite a large group of cavity-nesting species. These species nest in various holes, inside plant stems, in cavities in wood (sometimes they gnaw them by themselves). In cities, they can use man-made holes of various kinds (sometimes being very creative in their choices). If they happen to nest in a movable object (eg. a tree trunk ready for transport, or garden furniture) they can be accidentally transported with their nests… sometimes far away. It happened to a number of bee species which became invasive in their “new homes”, eg. the European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) moved to the United States, or Megachile sculpturalis, native to Asia, which is now spreading across Europe.