24 Sept 2025
The rather alarming takeover of a front lawn
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now...
You may be finding an unusual buzz about your lawn, or in the ivy covering a fence or a wall this September or October. Don't be alarmed - this is likely to be a colony of ivy bees, coming out to feed and mate, taking advantage of the source of nectar provided by ivy flowers - one of the few sources available this late in the year.
They can take over a lawn, making a loud buzzing, and digging burrows so they are a bit of a nuisance if you want your lawn to be pristine, but they are neither harmful nor aggressive - they won't sting. So if you can bear it, leave your lawn to be a mess for a couple of weeks, as after this period of frantic activity, they will retreat into their burrows for the winter, and you won't know they are there.
The ivy bee is a newcomer to Britain, being first recorded here in 2001. It is slowly spreading north and is now found in most of Southern England, Wales and the Channel Islands. You can identify an ivy bee by its cream abdomen bands, ginger fur and heart-shaped face
Here you can see a large colony buzzing around on a lawn. It looks a bit alarming, but they are much more interested in their own affairs than you.
