In early September, small bees flying a few inches over a dry sunny patch of garden will most likely be ivy bees (colletes hedera). They look very similar to honey bees though their stripes are more clearly defined. They’re solitary creatures and the low-flying, stingless drones fly around waiting for new females to emerge from  tunnels created last year. Soon the mated females will be on the ivy flowers. For more information on this fascinating little bee, see the EADT article: Harmless ivy bees are making themselves at home in Suffolk having migrated from continental Europe.