Mason bees, the garden pets

Mason bees are our native bee and are named for their use of mud (masonry product) in constructing their nests, which in nature, are made in naturally occurring gaps and holes in wood made by wood-boring insects. They are attracted by spring flowering plants and don’t make honey or even live in hives, but they are effective pollinators. They are easy to manage, maintain and are easy to attract to your garden. They are less vulnerable to some of the health problems that plague bee populations, both domesticated and wild. With no colony to protect, these bees have less likely to use their stingers. A habitat can easily be made of wood drilled out with appropriate sized holes (9.5mm) or purchasing Mason bee cylinders. Mason bee cocoons can be purchased or just put out a habitat structure and let the mason bees find them. Having a source of clay near the habitat, means less time the bees spend looking for clay and the more time they will have for pollinating.  

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C Randy Bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mason-bees-garden-pets-randy-bilesky?published=t

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-mason-bees-the-garden-pets-1.14937911

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