Mason bee systems - different styles, good and bad
magala
14 years ago
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ilovebee
14 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Mason Bee Sources...
Comments (10)There are two recognized subspecies of orchard mason bees (OMB, AKA blue orchard bees) that live in the eastern and western parts of North America. The eastern subspecies is called Osmia lignaria lignaria, the western subspecies is Osmia lignaria propinqua. They have distinct differences in behavior and even some slight differences in appearance. The main difference, as far as importance to you as a consumer of pollination services, is that the western subspecies is poorly adapted to eastern climate, especially humid conditions in spring and summer. The experience that most people have when they attempt to import western bees for use in the east (that's you!)is that the bees survive poorly year to year. Anecdotally, most female western OMB tend to migrate away from their emergence location, in search of lower humidity. OMB is native over a huge area of North America, and reasonably common where there is adequate climate and suitable vegetation. Reportedly, they tend to prefer spring-blooming plants in the rose family. You can get alot of specific information about these bees from Pollinator Paradise (www.pollinatorparadise.com) or the USDA Bee Biology Lab in Logan, Utah (http://www.loganbeelab.usu.edu/). Scientists at this USDA lab have pioneered work on this species of pollinator. You might be able to get adequate service from western OMB during a single season, maybe more. If you could find a source of eastern OMB, that would be better. Some of the vendors that have tried to sell eastern OMB's have not been successful, in part because most people nationwide buy bees from western sources (e.g Knox Cellars or Raintree). You could also start your own colony of eastern OMB by trapping them from a local wild source, but that might require a little more expertise and time than you currently have available. You might also want to try using hornfaced bees, Osmia cornifrons. These are similar to OMB, readily available from mason bee suppliers, and probably easier to use and propagate in the eastern part of the continent. The last time that I checked, there were a few sources of eastern OMB. Some may no longer be selling in 2005. Mr. Raymond D. Williams P. O. Box 1943 116 Sanitaria Springs Road Binghamton, NY 13902-1943 (607)775-3369, rdwbmg@juno.com Orchard Bees [ending business 2004] Greg Dickman 4391 County Rd. 35 Auburn, IN 46706-9794 260 925-5076 website: www.orchardbees.com [not valid on 26.02.2004] e-mail: buzzin@ctlnet.com Nancy A. Troup 10618 Honeyfield Road Williamsport, MD 21795 301-223-9662 beestroup@erols.com Duane E. King northern Maryland e-mail: king@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us web: http://www.bcpl.net/~clayton/bee.html Here is a link that might be useful: good article on...See MoreMason Bees
Comments (8)If you have blooming plants outside, you'll bring in Mason or Orchard bees. It may take a while for them to discover your bee house. There are native types in this area so there is no need to import any from another state, just encourage the wild ones. I haven't seen any so far this year, but I have seen plenty of honeybees. Keep in mind that most of the Mason and Orchard bees are tiny, the size of a housefly. Also keep in mind that you will eventually have to manage them and their bee house. The mite infestations get so bad after a year or so that you'll need to clean the cocoons while they sleep through the winter to get rid of them. Otherwise the mites and pests weaken the bees and your house will be empty....See MoreAnt condos... bad, good or no difference to conifers?
Comments (6)First of all, out of the hundreds of plants I've put into the ground the last six months, only about a dozen or so specimens have condos so far. That said, maybe ants expand like people and I could have a full fledge megatropolis soon. I know the cats enjoy them and they aren't dangerous or agressive stinging types. I am curious what is going to happen to them on a rainy day - or perhaps they know it's now the dry season. I will be completely against any kind of pesticides or other people created chemicals until I begin to lose plants. My garden is full of frogs, dragonflies, bees and butterflies and I'd prefer not to risk killing some of the other beneficial types of insects. I am for sure not worried about some of my more established specimens. They are thick underneath a specimen of Pinus contorta 'Taylors Sunburst' that I've had for a couple years. I just worry that some of the other new little guys I've planted won't be able to retain enough moisture with the ground being so porous. Here's a couple photos....See MoreMason/Orchard Bees - any experience? Sources for bees?
Comments (9)If you spray for carpenter bees, you will kill all the native mason bees you attract to your nesting spaces! So that is something huge to consider. If you have an out building that you do not spray, that might be a consideration - however you will probably still kill off that population. Now is the time to work on changing over your carpenter bee habits. Fill each hole with diatomaceous earth or borax. Then take a dowel and plug each hole up. That will stop new bees from emerging. Spraying in the holes will not totally eliminate the baby bees in there, only the first. There will be several in each hole. After you do that, then you can put up the bee houses for your carpenter bees. It really does work wonderfully well. Each fall, just take your Carpenter Bee houses down and clean out the tubes and kill the baby bees inside if you don't want them. Wash them well to remove bee fermones. Hang them again for next year. It's the existing fermones of baby bees that attract the new adult bees (and the babies also come back as adults) to lay more babies in your house. I had some good luck keeping the bees out by simply regularly washing my home and stopping up bee holes, and removing all mud dauber tubes (after hatching) and using this method for carpenter bees. We did get a lot of them when I moved here....See Moreknsdye
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