Female Red Mason Bees possess two distinctive facial 'horns' used to mold mud when constructing their nest cells. Unlike many bees that collect pollen on their hind legs, these bees gather pollen on specialized hairs located on the underside of their abdomen, known as a 'pollen brush'

Common across England and Wales, Red Mason Bees are frequently found in gardens, parks, allotments, and urban areas. They often nest in pre-existing cavities such as hollow plant stems, old nail holes in fence posts, air bricks, and bee hotels.

These bees are generalist foragers, collecting pollen and nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants. Early in the season, they favor trees like oak (Quercus) and maple (Acer), and as the season progresses, they shift to herbaceous plants such as buttercups (Ranunculus), poppies (Papaver), and dandelions (Taraxacum).