[NatureNS] Looking for advice on mason bees

DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; q=dns/txt; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=dunlin.ca; s=default;
From: ulli@dunlin.ca
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:42:33 -0400
References: <BLU169-W11A15B5BB8F650E48F5120C7F60@phx.gbl>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/
Hello,

Mason bee species are solitary bees, i.e. they don't form colonies like honey bees and 
bumble bees do.  That's why for pollination purposes honey bee colonies with 50000 worker 
bees/colony are moved into orchards during blooming season (and moved out right after 
before the spraying with pesticides starts).  

Some solitary species are out early in the year and would visit blooming cherries, but you 
wouldn't want to buy the number of cocoons required to built a reliable population density to 
take care of an orchard.  Looking at the prices some companies charge for a few dozen 
cocoons the money would buy you a honey bee colony with several 10000 of workers.
However, even if you would buy cocoons you would not jam those in your bee house for 
hatching without doing severe damage.

I used similar bee houses like the one you described for solitary bees in the past.  Some 
made from bamboo or cattail stems jammed in an old ceramic flower pot, others just a bunch 
of holes drilled in a hardwood block.  I put them up in weather protected (mainly protected 
from direct rain), south facing locations early in the spring.  There were takers in the first year 
and over the years the local population grew, at least judged by the increasing number of 
tenants in the growing number of "appartment" buildings.

Breeding species depend on what local species are around, and there are a few solitary bees 
native to NS that should use such breeding facilities.  So just find a good spot for your house, 
put it up in early spring and wait what happens next.

Ulli

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects