Can groundnesting bees survive flooding?

Occasionally, yes. Most of Britain’s 270 bee species nest on sparsely vegetated slopes and banks, and have adopted various methods to keep their homes dry. Many mining bees, for instance, use secretions from their Dufour’s gland to equip their nests with a waterproof lining. Several species even specialise in wetter habitats. Some, such as the yellow loosestrife, collect floral oils to line the walls of their nest cells; others, like the sea aster, produce natural polyesters for nest protection. These coatings allow the bees to live in much damper soils and even withstand occasional inundation. Laurie Jackson