Mason Bees Use Broomsticks to Protect Offspring

Mason bees in the UK, particularly the two-colored mason bee, have a peculiar behavior of flying around on broomsticks to protect their developing offspring. The mother bee searches for empty snail shells of the exact right size to lay her egg and then disguises the nest with dried materials like old grass. The Grasslands episode of David Attenborough and the BBC’s Wild Isles also features mating adders and the full lifecycle of the large blue butterfly.