| Wool Carder Bee Anthidium manicatum - |
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A brilliant bee for the garden! The Wool Carder Bee Anthidium manicatum is one of the most impressive solitary bees that is likely to turn up in the garden. It is also one of the most exciting and interesting insects you could be lucky enough to witness! 
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How will I spot the Wool Carder? Look out for a bee hovering around patches of flowers and darting very quickly at any other insects that fly into the patch. The male Wool Carder Bee sets up a territory around one or two patches of flowers. He patrols these flowers and deals very aggressively with any insect that strays into the patch. He darts at an intruding insect to chase it off. Often it will wrestle the intruder to the ground. He will use three fearsome prongs on the tip of his abdomen to crush intruders. Male Wool Carders are not afraid to tackle bumble bees considerably larger than themselves and have even been known to kill honey bees! |
So, what's it look like? The male Wool Carder Bee is easily recognised by the row of small lemon-yellow spots on its abdomen. It also has yellow markings on its legs and face. The female is similar but smaller and less brightly marked. 
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The
three deadly spikes at the tip of the abdomen|
How can I attract the Wool Carder Bee to my garden? 1. The Wool Carder Bee is very fond of certain types of flower. If you plant these in sunny positions you will have a good chance of attracting the bee to your patch. Probably the best plant to try is the well known garden plant, 'Lamb's Ear' Stachys lanata. Also try smaller flowered foxgloves like Digitalis lutea and Digitalis grandiflora. The easy to grow Purple Toadflax Linaria purpurea is also much liked by the Wool Carder. 2. Provide places for the bee to nest. the easiest way is to drill holes between 7-10mm diameter in timber around the garden. Or try installing special bee posts These are easy to make. Just follow the instructions on our bee post page 3. Avoid using chemicals in your garden, particularly insecticides. |
What's all the aggravation in aid
of? The male Wool Carder patrols patches of flowers, fending off all-comers as a means of attracting females for mating. By keeping other insects away, he ensures that there is a plentiful supply of nectar for any potential mate. When a female approaches he will investigate her, and let her through to feed. In return he attempts to mate. In this way he can establish quite a harem. I have seen at least five females using a patch of Lamb's Ear patrolled by a single male.  |
And
the female? You might be wondering why this bee is called the Wool Carder? The bee is named after the female's habit of scraping the hairs off plants, rather like carding wool. She uses the hairs to line a cavity in a wall, in timber or any other suitable place. The hairs are gathered together into a ball. She flies off carrying the ball of wool, which is sometimes as big as her! If you can watch the females 'carding' plant hairs, you may be lucky enough to witness one fly off with its cargo of 'wool' - it really is a fascinating sight. Hairy leaved plants like Lamb's Ear, or Lychnis coronaria are important for this purpose. Back at it's cavity nest, the female provisions cells with pollen collected from plants guarded by the male. She then lays eggs in the cells which develop into larvae that feed on the pollen provided by the 'mother'. The following season, in June and July, new males emerge, followed soon after by females, and the whole cycle starts again. |
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When can I see Wool Carders? The bee flies in June and July. Numbers peak in late June and July. A few Wool Carders may hang on into August How common is the Wool Carder Bee? The Wool Carder Bee is quite an uncommon bee, but it is particularly associated with gardens. There has been a dramatic decline in the numbers of most species of bee in the wider countryside. Intensive agriculture leaves little opportunity for wild bees to thrive, and nowadays many bee species are more common in gardens than elsewhere! A sad reflection on the state of our countryside's wildlife. |
Above: A female carder inspects a hole in a 'bee post'. Cavities like these are ideal places for Wool Carder Bees to set up home in. |
