[NatureNS] re Looking for advice on mason bees

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Thanks very much=2C all=2C for your responses to my questions.  I am quite =
encouraged by the information provided=2C and boss appreciated the Can. Ent=
omol. citation.  He doesn't exactly have a whole cherry orchard=2C but as C=
ory says=2C it should be fun to see what he gets!

A. Woolaver=20



To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: jimwolford@eastlink.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] re Looking for advice on mason bees
Date: Thu=2C 21 Feb 2013 23:28:47 -0400

Sorry=2C everyone=2C I had to send this a second time because I forgot to d=
elete the attachment.  Jim



Begin forwarded message:

From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: February 21=2C 2013 11:26:28 PM AST
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>=2C Cory Sheffield <cory.silas.sheffi=
eld@gmail.com>=2C Steve Javorek <javoreks@agr.gc.ca>=2C Todd Smith <todd.sm=
ith@acadiau.ca>=2C kirk.hillier@acadiau.ca
Subject: re Looking for advice on mason bees

Cory=2C Thanks very much for this.  For those on this list (NatureNS)=2C at=
tachments cannot be sent=2C but the title of the paper is "Diversity of cav=
ity-nesting bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) within apple orchards and wild habi=
tats in the Annapolis Valley=2C Nova Scotia=2C Canada -- by Cory S. Sheffie=
ld=2C Peter Kevan=2C Sue M. Weatby=2C and Robert F. Smith -- Can. Entomol. =
140: 235-249 (2008).  I can send the attachment pdf of this paper to whoeve=
r asks me off the list=2C please.


Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.



Begin forwarded message:

From: Cory Sheffield <cory.silas.sheffield@gmail.com>
Date: February 21=2C 2013 8:28:07 PM AST
To: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Cc: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=2C nancy.roberts@ns.sympatico.ca
Subject: Re: Looking for advice on mason bees


I think the purpose of those nesting blocks is to fill them with
native cavity nesting species=2C and in NS there are several (see
attached paper)=2C several of which are rather large species.  The Blue
Orchard Bee is the one that is managed in Canada=2C though primarily in
the west=2C it does occur as far east as ON=2C QC=2C with a few odd records
from NS (though this has not been verified).


If you put the nests out=2C you will get mason bees (Osmia) in the
spring=2C and Megachile (leaf cutters) in the summer (with possibly a
few other osmiine bees).  It is very possible to grow your own!  There
are over 200 bee species in NS=2C so it should be fun to see what you
get!


Cheers=2C
Cory


On Thu=2C Feb 21=2C 2013 at 2:36 PM=2C James W. Wolford
<jimwolford@eastlink.ca> wrote:

Cory or Steve=2C can either of you comment on this and on another answer th=
at
I will send you right after this one?  Thanks from Jim et al.


Begin forwarded message:


From: Nancy Roberts <nancy.roberts@ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: February 20=2C 2013 10:01:30 PM AST
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Looking for advice on mason bees
Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca


I don't know about mason bees=2C some blueberry growers are using bumblebee=
s
for pollination and more are using leaf cutter bees. I know of one grower=
=2C
Glenmore Farms (on google)=2C who supplies these species.


These species have been proven on blueberries and proven for NS climate=2C =
but
I don't know about cherry trees.


One thing bees =96 not mason bees=2C though =96 need is a succession of blo=
oming
things so they can keep going all season. You may have that since you
probably have a fair amount of wildflowers around.


There seems to be a Diversified Pollination Services=2C Kentiville=2C that
supplies mason bees and other alternatives to the honeybee.


Cheers=2C


Nancy


Nancy Roberts Design
Celebrating 19 years of making you look GOOD


Dartmouth=2C NS B2Y 2X6
902 461-9488






On 20-Feb-13=2C at 6:19 PM=2C Anne Woolaver wrote:


Hi all=2C


For a present this last Christmas=2C his employees gave my boss a mason bee
house (the tear-drop shaped one from Vesey's)=2C in hopes of better
pollination success for the cherry trees at his cottage in Wallace this
year.  We didn't=2C however=2C buy any cocoons to go with it (Vesey's does =
not
sell them)=2C and I am now wondering whether that would have been a good id=
ea.
Does anyone have any experience with these houses and their ability to
attract nesting females "from scratch" in the northwest of Nova Scotia?  Ho=
w
common are mason bees in Nova Scotia=2C and how far do they disperse when t=
hey
emerge in spring?  Would they come out too early to be good cherry
pollinators?  The property itself would probably be relatively suitable for
nesting (nearby water and mud)=2C although given the life cycle of this bee=
=2C
it might take a couple of years to build up a local population.  Any
recommendations on possible suppliers of cocoons=2C ideally in eastern Cana=
da?
The only ones I've been able to find online seem to be a couple outfits fro=
m
BC.


Thanks in advance for advice=2C insight!


A. Woolaver


 		 	   		  =

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Thanks very much=2C all=2C for your responses to my questions.&nbsp=3B I am=
 quite encouraged by the information provided=2C and boss appreciated the C=
an. Entomol. citation.&nbsp=3B He doesn't exactly have a whole cherry orcha=
rd=2C but as Cory says=2C it should be fun to see what he gets!<BR><BR>
A. Woolaver&nbsp=3B<BR>
<DIV>
<DIV id=3DSkyDrivePlaceholder></DIV>
<HR id=3DstopSpelling>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR>From: jimwolford@eastlink.ca<BR>Subject: [Na=
tureNS] re Looking for advice on mason bees<BR>Date: Thu=2C 21 Feb 2013 23:=
28:47 -0400<BR><BR>Sorry=2C everyone=2C I had to send this a second time be=
cause I forgot to delete the attachment. &nbsp=3BJim<BR>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV>Begin forwarded message:</DIV><BR class=3DecxApple-interchange-newline=
>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT style=3D"FONT: 12px Helvetica=3B COLOR: #000000" color=3D#000000=
 size=3D3 face=3DHelvetica><B>From: </B></FONT><FONT style=3D"FONT: 12px He=
lvetica" size=3D3 face=3DHelvetica>"James W. Wolford" &lt=3B<A href=3D"mail=
to:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</A>&gt=3B</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style=3D"FONT: 12px Helvetica=3B COLOR: #000000" c