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Posts about mason bees written by Seabrooke
Explore best mason bees for sale, blue orchard bee, leafcutter bee, osmia californica, sunflower bees, the bundle of bees & more. order now!!!
Mining bees, mason bees, carpenter bees, are Bees that resemble bumblebees or are confused with bumblebees, their behaviour and nest construction
Native Mason Bees are easy to care for amazing pollinators! Learn how to care for mason bees throughout the year & attract them to your yard.
Mason bees are an important native species of bee. We need to do what we can to ensure there survival and the betterment of our crops.
Gardening Ideas Beekeeping How to Keep Mason Bees Gardeners understand the critical importance of pollinators to our food and ornamental crops–we’d be in big trouble without them. Keeping mason bees is just one thing you can do to nurture pollinators
You know when to release mason bees when the following conditions are met: Daytime temperatures must be consistently 55F or warmer and there must be budding branches and blooming flowers.
Native to North America, mason bees are a whole different ball game from honeybees: They live in solitary “houses” rather than hives, they don’t have a queen or make honey, so they are far more docile. In fact, the males can’t even sting. And they hatch right about now.
You’ve probably heard about mason bees, the small, peaceful bees that are great pollinators. These non-aggressive bees are safe to have around kids and pets. They don’t live in a hive but are solitary bees. You can buy or rent mason bee houses to pollinate your own garden. It’s best to use local sources. Crown Bees sells bees and houses. You […]
The science has changed. “Habitat over homes” is the new motto. Learn why and how to care for your active mason bee homes for one last season before decommissioning them.
Mason bees are incredibly easy to please and the hype you hear about their nesting needs is mostly nonsense. Here you see mason bees in a honey bee hive.
Mason bees are excellent pollinators, demonstrating 95% pollination success compared to honey bees, which typically pollinate about 5%
Everything you need to know about Mason Bees one of America's most effective pollinators in nature. How to attract these super pollinators and Mason Bee Houses.
Chickadee Gardens is a garden blog about drought tolerant and native plants. We have 2 acres and grow food. Oregon and West Coast gardening focused
Mason bees are fascinating insects that are often overlooked. They’re significant pollinators who could use a helping hand. Here’s all you can learn about them.
Mason bees are a welcomed pollinator to any garden. So much so, that many people enjoy installing mason bee houses in hopes of attracting mason bees to their homes. Recently, a parasitic fly has been damaging mason bee populations. This fly is called the Houdini fly. Luckily, if we take the proper precautions and properly care for our mason bee houses and coccoons, we can help to protect mason bees from the Houdini fly. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and helps to keep this website running. What is the Houdini Fly? The Houdini fly is well known in Europe, and has recently made it’s way to the United States. It is called the Houdini fly for the way it is able to escape mason bee nests. Other names of this fly are devil fly, or red devil, because of it’s large red eyes. Houdini flies are from the same family as the fruit fly, and are also classified as kleptoparasites. This means that they steal the food of another animal. In this case, it is the food of young mason bees. How Does the Houdini Fly Harm Mason Bees? Houdini flies harm mason bees by entering the mason bee tube and laying eggs on the pollen that is meant for the emerging mason bee. Once the Houdini fly maggot emerges, it consumes the pollen before the mason bee larvae hatches. This causes the mason bee to starve and die. Signs of Houdini Fly Infestation The most obvious sign of Houdini fly infestation is the presence of clusters of small, white maggots in the mason bee nest cell. At this point, you may notice that the mason bee larvae is dead or missing all together. Preventing Houdini Flies It is not believed that Houdini flies can be fully eradicated, however, there are things you can do to prevent Houdini fly infestation. Use a mason bee house that opens so you can visually inspect your nesting materials. If you are unable to inspect your nesting materials, place them in a fine mesh bag. Release the mason bees when they emerge, and kill any flies. Thoroughly clean all nesting blocks every year. Harvest mason bee cocoons before they emerge in Spring. When harvesting cocoons, destroy any Houdini fly maggots you find. Purchase mason bee cocoons from places that inspect for Houdini flies. Recommended Mason Bee Houses The following mason bee houses work well for Houdini fly prevention because they open up for visual inspections. Summary The Houdini fly is a parasite of the mason bee. It lays eggs in the mason bee tube and consumes all the pollen before the mason bee larvae hatches. The best way to prevent Houdini fly infestation is by doing visual inspections for fly maggots and harvesting mason bee cocoons before they emerge in spring. Related posts: Everything You Need to Know About Mason Bee Houses Where to Buy Mason Bees and How to Care for Them Mason Bees for Pollination How to Attract Bees to a Bee House
Build a welcoming DIY mason bee house with our easy-to-use plans, boost local pollination, and enjoy natural honey production at home.
Cool Mason Bee House
