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It is pretty obvious that bees are not
only one of the most feared insects in the world but did you know they
are also one of the most loved insects of the world? Of course,
the only people that really love bees are gardeners, but still, they
are definitely an important part of the world and if we did not have
bees, we would not be able to pollinate our flowers and crops!
One of the biggest pollinators is the mason bee. This bee is
honestly one of the most interesting of the bee family and it is
certainly one of the most sought after bees.
The mason bee is known for being the
solitary bee. This bee can build a solitary nest all by itself
out of mud or plant fiber that has been chewed to paste. The
mason bee is smaller than a honey bee, but they have stout bodies and
are usually a metallic green or bluish in color. This is one of
the main reasons why the mason bee is so sought after – the colors
on this bee are simply amazing and while they are usually found only
in the western region of the United States, they have migrated their
way to other parts of the northern hemisphere.
There are roughly one hundred and forty
species of mason bees found in North America and over two hundred
species of mason bees found worldwide. The mason bee is also one
bee that is pretty mellow in its attitude and really only stings when
it feels it is being threatened. Otherwise, this is one of
the mellowest bees in the world. It is similar to the ground
bee that does not sting even if you wreck its nest with a garden
hose.
Many of the reasons that mason bees are
so popular in the United States are because they are excellent for
pollinating. These amazing bees can pollinate with the best of
them, one female mason bee can pollinate up to two thousand apple
flowers a day. For this reason, mason bees have been dubbed
orchard mason bees and many orchards have taken to harvesting these
bees and letting them loose on their orchards in order to have them
pollinate their entire orchard.
Mason bees can only be found in the
spring time as the bees will break out of their cocoons at the first
sign of spring. First the males will come out and then the
females will remain until the weather completely breaks. Once
the females break out of their cocoons, the first thing the mason bees
will do is mate. The males will then die and the female bees
will begin looking for a place to build their nest.
Narrow holes, tubes and mud all make
great places for these female mason bees to lay their eggs. A
female mason bee might inspect the same place several times before she
decides that she can nest there. It is all part of the cycle of
finding the perfect nest to lay all of her eggs in. Many
gardeners will buy ready-made mason
bee houses to encourage them to visit and stay in their gardens.
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order? Call 1-800-405-1497