Solvin Zankl's Image

Solvin Zankl (Germany) carefully watches a two-coloured mason bee build the roof of its nest.

While exploring a favourite haunt in central Germany, Solvin came across several tiny piles of sticks on top of empty snail shells. With only one of the shells being used as nest, he quickly realised that the others were being made as landmarks to help the bee navigate.

So as not to disorientate it, Solvin edged his equipment closer each time the bee left. After two hours, the bee was using his equipment as a landmark as well. Only when it had finished its roof building did he pack up.

Solvin explains that he’s motivated to take pictures of wild bees to ‘raise attention for the diversity of insects that so few of us are aware of. Climate change and our unsustainable use of nature are putting them at severe risk with repercussions for our own life on this planet.’

Two-coloured mason bees use snail shells for egg laying. They pack the shell with pollen and nectar for their larvae, then seal it with grass and sticky saliva. Humans sometimes consider snails to be pests, but this species could not survive without them.

How you can help

• Plant pollinator friendly flowers. Wildflowers, such as ground ivy, dandelions, daisies, violets and dead nettles, as well as shrubs, such as blackthorn, hawthorn and gorse, all appeal to these pollinators.
• Mason bees use mud to make their nests. To create a source of mud in your garden, dig flower beds so that they can gather this important nest-building material.
• Red-tailed mason bees only nest in snail shells. Grassy farmland is the ideal environment for snails to flourish. Support organic farms, as these provide not only snail shells for the bees to build their nests in but also a whole range of wildflowers to use for nest building.