Category Archives: Bee Facts
Natural vs. Paper: Which nesting tubes do Mason Bees prefer?
There are lots of opinions about which nesting material Mason Bees prefer, so I decided to do some experimenting this year: In this bee house I placed an assortment of bamboo, hollow reeds, and my cardboard tubes. The bees … Continue reading
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Tagged bamboo bee tubes, bee tubes, mason bee houses
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Spiders scraping bee cocoons?
I hope someone can shed some light on this cool find: I retrieved a box of empty mason bee cocoons that had been placed in early Spring, 2012. When I opened the box in March, 2013, I found three black … Continue reading
Carpenters and Masons, working it out.
I’m always experimenting with different habitat for mason bees – colors, shapes, hole depth, location. Anything I can think of that might entice them to nest, and teach me something new. Here’s my latest discovery: I’d seen this yellow-faced … Continue reading
CA says no to its native bees?
Check out this letter from the California Dept. of Food & Agriculture. Evidently you can ship non-native honey bees into CA without a permit, but Blue Orchard Bees (Osmia lignaria propinqua) that are native to California – are not allowed … Continue reading
Spring Emergence
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It can take two weeks for a female Mason Bee to fill a 6″ hole with her brood, and it’s always exciting to see that first mud-capped tube. But if you’re not sure you have bees nesting in your bee … Continue reading