Who Knows Their Bees?

[Prudie]

I'm hoping someone knows more than me, I know a bumble and honey bee and can distinguish a wasp and hover fly but:
Yesterday one of my cats was stung in the flower beds. Her foot and leg came up double size and she was limping and very sorry for herself for a few hours but better now thank goodness.

That is just an aside, I was looking at the area of garden where she was stung and I can see a lot of small bees flying in and out straight from the ground. Looking on internet the only bee that seems to do this is a miner bee and they do look like the pictures however it describes them as solitary. The bees in my garden are not solitary, there are a lot coming in and out of a hole in the ground. I can't identify them and don't know if they are going to be a problem. Does anyone recognise this description please?

[Barmaid]

Are they buff tails?

[Prudie]

I'd say definitely not. They are not chunky like bumbles nor so obviously marked. I've had a look on google images, they are small and slim and do look like miner bees but there are a lot of them. I can see a hole in the ground under some shrubbery they are flying in and out of.

[Ellipsis]

https://www.heath-hands.org.uk/blog/miningbees
The ‘solitary’ part refers to their nesting habits rather than their social lives! You may see them in aggregations numbering the hundreds around nesting sites, but each female cares for her own nest burrow.

[Gill1941]

You are very lucky to have any bees nesting in your garden.
I used to have miner bees and as ellipsis says there are several of them on the sites but nest alone.
I certainly never had any stings. Bees usually only sting if provoked. Perhaps your cat was chasing them. Mine do the same.
Please, do not destroy them.

[Prudie]

Gill don't worry I have no intention of harming any bees. I am wondering what they are and looking at them today I'm a bit concerned they are a type of wasp, not the jam sandwich type but smaller. They are flying in and out so fast I can't see them properly. If they turn out to be a wasp variety then I want rid.

[Gill1941]

I thought you wouldn't but had to say it in case!
Miner bees nest look like lots of round holes in the ground maybe on top of a very small hill - like a mini volcano. Sometimes used to see their heads sticking out.
I had a tree bumblebee nest in on of my shrubs about 3 years ago.
Just like a wasp nest. Very dark fluffy bees. I had to ring the local beekeepers to identify them.
Unfortunately, I was pruning the shrub not knowing the nest was there. Got too close and they all came out defending. First time I have ever been stung despite always picking up bees by hand.
The shrub didn't get pruned until they'd gone.
Not easy running from bees when I'm on crutches!

[Chipchopper]

Potter bee?

[Ken4155]

Not Bertie and his rather large family, is it, Prudie? We've not seen him since last football season ended:-)

https://www.alamy.com/bertie-bee-burnley-mascot-image351274947.html