Solitary Bees
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How to Protect Your Mason Bees from the Houdini Fly
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…
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Where To Buy Bees For a Hive
You chose your beehive, set it up and got it ready for it’s new little dwellers. What’s next? Now it’s time to get your first bee colony! If you are new to beekeeping, the question of where to buy bees for a hive is a very important one. It’s not as if you can go to the local pet store and order a box of bees. So where do beekeepers get their bees? How Do Beekeepers Get Bees? There are 3 ways beekeepers get bees. They either buy a package of bees, buy a nucleus colony, or they catch a swarm. The most common method for new beekeepers is to buy…
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10 Interesting Facts About the Leafcutter Bee
Leafcutter bees (also known as leafcutting bees) are scientifically known as Megachile Latreille. They are in one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1500 species in over 50 subgenera. Other bees in this family include mason bees, resin bees, and carder bees. They get their nickname from what they do – cut leaves. Female leafcutter bees will line a cavity with leaves to create a brood chamber in which to lay her eggs. The baby leafcutter bees stay in the chamber throughout winter. In the spring, they chew through the chamber to exit the nest. Female leafcutter bees have teeth. They also have large heads due to the…
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Foster A Mason Bee
If you’ve ever thought about raising mason bees, or if you already do, this special may be of interest to you. Since it’s the end of the season, Crown Bees is working to find homes for all of their mason bees. To do this, they are having a special where you can get 20 mason bee cocoons for only $19.95. This is a great deal, as the normal price is $32.95. Not only that, all cocoons will be shipped for free via FedEx 2 day shipping. The bees will be shipped out on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so plan accordingly. Crown Bee’s Foster a Mason Bee sale starts now, and…
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When to Release Mason Bees
You got your mason bee house, put the tubes in, and found the perfect location for it. Now what? Now is the best part – it’s time for the bees! At this point, you can try to attract some mason bees to the house, or you can order mason bee cocoons. If you order cocoons, like I did, you need to know when to release mason bees. To release mason bees means to place them in the bee house. This needs to be done at the right time, under the right conditions. Read on to learn when to release mason bees. What You Need for Mason Bees Before you release…
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The Best Mason Bee House Location
Spring is here, so it’s the perfect time to set up a mason bee house. One of the most important things you can do is find the best mason bee house location. If you place your bee house in a location that is not suitable for bees, they may look for shelter elsewhere. So, how do you find the best mason bee house location? It’s actually pretty easy. You must take the following into account: orientation, height, mounting, forage, and nesting material. Why Raise Mason Bees? If you have a garden, you can benefit from mason bees. They are amazing pollinators – 120 times more effective than honey bees. If…
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Crown Bees Mason Bee Cocoons Review
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already saw my posts yesterday about my mason bee cocoons. I thought I’d do a Crown Bees mason bee cocoon review on here, in case anyone is interested. Ordering Mason Bee Cocoons from Crown Bees I got a brand new mason bee house this year and decided to get some mason bee cocoons as well. I ordered them online from Crown Bees, since they are a well known and trusted company. The ordering process was really simple. On their website, you can choose which type of solitary bee cocoon you would like to order. If you want bees for spring, choose…
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How to Attract Bees to a Bee House
Spring is almost here, so that means that if you haven’t yet, it’s time to plan your garden. Whether you plant fruits and vegetables, or just flowers, it’s beneficial to have a bee house. Bee houses are not the same as beehives. While beehives house honey bees for the purpose of collecting honey, bee houses are for solitary bees. Solitary bees do not make honey, but are excellent pollinators. Some people buy mason or leafcutter bee cocoons for their bee houses. Others set up the house and wait for the bees to come on their own. Read on to learn how to attract bees to a bee house. Disclosure: As…
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How to Raise Native Bees
Learning how to raise native bees is a great spring or summer activity that the whole family can enjoy. It’s so fascinating to see the bees flying to and from their bee house. Not only does raising native bees help to increase their declining population, it is also beneficial to you. Native bees, such as mason bees and leafcutter bees are excellent pollinators. Add a bee house to your garden to see an increase in your harvest. 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 are Native Bees? When you think of a…
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Mason Bees for Pollination
When you think of pollinators, you probably think of honey bees and butterflies, but there is an insect that is 120 times more effective at pollination than honey bees. That insect is the mason bee. Mason bees are gentle, solitary bees that are beneficial for any garden. In this article you will learn all about the mason bee, how to care for them, and where to find mason bee cocoons for sale. Disclosure: As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and helps to keep this website running. What is a Mason Bee? Like the leafcutter bee, mason bees are excellent pollinators. Mason…
