Sceliphron spirifex
Mud Dauber
The Mud Dauber is a regular visitor to suburban homes. Their mud nests are attached to any sheltered surface eg overhanging rocks and branches. Human habitation offers a wide range of nesting opportunities.

These wasps busy themselves collecting small spiders that they put into these mud nests. They are quite harmless despite their bright yellow and black warning colours.

Apis mellifera
Honey bee
There are approximately 20 000 species of bees in the world.
Only a fraction of these, 500 species, form colonies. Africa's honey bee, Apis mellifera, is one of four different kinds of honey bee that occur throughout the world.

Bees symbolise productivity and energy. Much of what we eat is a consequence of their activity as pollinators (eg honey, beans, peas, sunflowers and many types of fruit).

Xylocopa caffra
Carpenter Bee
There are no true bumblebees in southern Africa. The large, dark, hairy bees that we see in our gardens are carpenter bees. Bumblebees and carpenter bees are members of different families, and as such are distantly related.

Whilst they look very similar, they live different lifestyles. Bumblebees nest in the ground whilst carpenter bees nest in wood. You can encourage them to nest in your garden by providing them with bamboo tubes.