Ivy Bee
Colletes hederae
Appearance
The Ivy Bee is a medium-sized solitary bee with a warm ginger-brown thorax and striking orange-yellow stripes on its abdomen, making it more colorful than many relatives. Females are slightly larger and fuzzier, often mistaken for small honeybees.
Special traits
This bee has just one generation per year. Males appear in late August, followed by females in September, and both remain active until November. They prefer sandy or loamy soils—on sunny banks, lawns, or even cliffs—and often form huge nesting colonies with thousands of individual burrows.
Interesting facts
Highly specialized, the Ivy Bee relies almost exclusively on ivy (Hedera helix) for pollen and nectar, perfectly timed with ivy’s late-autumn bloom. When ivy is scarce, it may visit other Asteraceae. In the Netherlands, it was first recorded in 1997 in Maastricht and has since spread across Western Europe and beyond. It is also parasitized by the blister beetle Stenoria analis, whose larvae mimic female bee pheromones to attract males—a striking case of natural trickery.
Physical location of the BeeTotem
Marislaan hoek Aloëlaan, in the Maredijkbuurt, close to Central Station, Leiden, NL. Coordinats 52 ° 16 ‘ 66268 N – 4 ° 48 ‘ 70494 E
Beetotem en Beehotel
BeeTotem & BeeHotel for the Ivy Bee
The BeeTotem for the Ivy Bee is a luxurious restaurant for powerfood. It follows circular principles: inside the tube of the BeeTotem, worms brew up nutrient-rich cocktails using the kitchen scraps provided by host families. Crawling through small holes into the soil, they dispose of this compost, giving the plants a fresh nutrient boost.
This may have two effects: the pollen and nectar gathered for bee larvae become more potent, making the young bees physically stronger and more resilient—possibly leading to a healthier generation the following year. At the same time, the plants themselves radiate their signals more vividly, attracting pollinators from further away.
Since Ivy Bees nest underground, a BeeHotel for ground-nesting species has been placed nearby. Together, BeeTotem and BeeHotel form a complete habitat: food and shelter side by side.
By massively planting key Ivy species (Hedera helix arborescens and Hedera colchica), as well as other plants that bloom at different times and provide pollen and nectar for male Ivy Bees, a tailor-made biotope is created in the neighbourhood. Altogether, there is still much to explore.
Plants for the Ivy Bee
Common ivy
| Latin | Hedera helix |
| Environment | Sun / shadow |
| Size | tot 25 m |
| Bloom | September-November |
| Lifespan | 100+ years |
| Soil | Humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil |
Tree ivy
| Latin | Hedera helix arborescens |
| Environment | Partial shade – shade |
| Size | Shrub,1–2 m |
| Bloom | Sept – Oct |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Moist, humus-rich |
Persian ivy
| Latin | Hedera colchica |
| Environment | Partial shade – shade |
| Size | 10–20 m |
| Bloom | Sept – Oct |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Moist, humus-rich |
Yellow Toothwort
| Latin | Odontites luteus |
| Environment | Sun |
| Size | 20–50 cm |
| Bloom | July – Sept |
| Lifespan | Annual |
| Soil | Dry, nutrient-poor |
Common Heather
| Latin | Calluna vulgaris |
| Environment | Sun |
| Size | 20–50 cm |
| Bloom | Aug – Oct |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Acidic, sandy, nutrient-poor |
Savoy hawkweed
| Latin | Hieracium sabaudum |
| Environment | Sun |
| Size | 30–100 cm |
| Bloom | July – Sept |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Dry, poor, sandy or rocky |
Canadian goldenrod
| Latin | Solidago canadensis |
| Environment | Sun |
| Size | 1–2 m |
| Bloom | Aug – Oct |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Moist, nutrient-rich |
Autumn crocus
| Latin | Colchicum autumnale |
| Environment | Partial shade |
| Size | 10–30 cm |
| Bloom | August-October |
| Lifespan | Perennial, bulbous |
| Soil | Moist, nutrient-rich |
Chinese sumac
| Latin | Rhus chinensis |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | Shrub/tree, 5–10 m |
| Bloom | June – July |
| Lifespan | Perennial, deciduous |
| Soil | Warm, well-drained |
Autumn hawkbit
| Latin | Scorzoneroides autumnalis |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 10–50 cm |
| Bloom | June – Oct |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Grassland soils, moderately moist |
Cat’s ear
| Latin | Hypochaeris radicata |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 10–60 cm |
| Bloom | June – Oct |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Sandy, grassy, well-drained |
Sea holly
| Latin | Eryngium maritimum |
| Environment | Sun |
| Size | 20–60 cm |
| Bloom | July – Sept |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Sandy, coastal, well-drained |
Oregano
| Latin | Origanum vulgare |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 30–80 cm |
| Bloom | July – Sept |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Calcareous, well-drained |
Wild rocket
| Latin | Diplotaxis tenuifolia |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 30–80 cm |
| Bloom | May – Sept |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Well-drained, often dry |
Field eryngo
| Latin | Eryngium campestre |
| Environment | Sun |
| Size | 30–80 cm |
| Bloom | July – Aug |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Dry, sandy, calcareous |
New England aster
| Latin | Symphyotrichum novae-angliae |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 100–150 cm |
| Bloom | August-October |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Moist, fertile |
White sweetclover
| Latin | Melilotus albus |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 50–150 cm |
| Bloom | June – Sept |
| Lifespan | Biennial to perennial |
| Soil | Poor, dry or disturbed soils |
White clover
| Latin | Trifolium repens |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 5–20 cm |
| Bloom | May – Sept |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Moist, nutrient-rich |
Brown knapweed
| Latin | Centaurea jacea |
| Environment | Sun – partial shade |
| Size | 30–80 cm |
| Bloom | June – Sept |
| Lifespan | Perennial |
| Soil | Moderately moist |
KARMAGOTCHI
The principles behind the Karmagotchi are derived from Tamagotchi, a tool that allows hosts to easily keep track of the current condition of plants and worms in the BeeTotem. A continuous script linked to the local weather station retrieves data on temperature and precipitation and regulates the pace from 100 to 0%.
Hosts have access to this interface and after adding water or kitchen scrapings they can update all other hosts by simply clicking on the water or feed icon.
STATUS
STATUS
Information
About the Ivy BeeTotem
QR code
This QR code is printed on the informational pavement tile in front of the Ivy BeeTotem and on the info sign at the associated BeeHotel. People who scan this code with their phones are directed to this webpage for more information. At the same time, people are encouraged to spot bees, photograph them and upload these photos to this page. Everyone who participates in this supports a direct evaluation process.
Provide Food/Plants
We now have learned that pollinators should be fed with non-toxic and bio-based plants. As a result, there is an increasing number of plant nurseries that grow organically. We share the vision of growers who work with local and indigenous genotypes to support biodiversity in their Ecozone and contribute to global conservation efforts.
Please note that plant availability depends on the season and the supplier. The best chance of success is to buy before or at the beginning of each individual flowering season (see above). Planting seeds is also an option. There are several places where you can order Bio plants and seeds, and they will be delivered to your home by regular post. Some suppliers are listed below.
Adopt a RefuBee
Adopt a wild bee and treat her to her favourite flowers. With every BeeTotem, a community of people is created who together care for a specific bee species on their doorstep. Because there are too many different species of wild bees (for example, 104 in Amsterdam), it is impossible to help them all at once and everywhere.
In 2020, we started the first BeeTotem to set up a “diversity and distribution programme” as a concept. We divided Amsterdam into 104 different zones, as many as there are wild bees. By entering the postcode, people can easily look up which RefuBee species can be adopted in different neighbourhoods and which flowers are suitable for them.
Address:
Amsterdam
Email us :
info@blindpainters.org
Call ons:
+31 6 553 563 43
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