Hello! I am Mason!

Why I Want Mason Bees

It seems like a title of a grammar school essay.

Bees have become one of my latest interests. Bees are relatively cheap and easy to deal with. Especially Mason bees as they don't make honey or beeswax so they don't have any of the upkeep that honey bees require. However, they are great pollinators and will be incredibly helpful with our future of fruit trees, flowers, and fruits and vegetables.

To quote Wikipedia:

Mason bees are increasingly cultivated to improve pollination for early spring fruit flowers. They are used sometimes as an alternative, but more often as an augmentation for European honey bees.

Unlike honey bees (Apis), they are solitary; every female is fertile and makes her own nest, and there are no worker bees for these species. Solitary bees produce neither honey nor beeswax. They are immune from acarine and Varroa mites.

Most mason bees live in holes and can be attracted by drilling short holes in a block of wood. They are excellent spring season pollinators and, since they have no honey to defend, will only sting if squeezed or stepped on. As such, they make excellent garden "pets", since they both pollinate the plants and are safe for children and pets.

And look at their pretty houses:

This one can be purchased here.

Meanwhile, ETSY has several as well. Including some gorgeous ones that are made in the UK. I am still trying to convince them that it would be worthwhile to send me one here in the states. It may be a long shot... but a girl can dream right?

However, if you are in the mood for a DIY project... which can I say could turn in to an amazing Christmas/Holiday present.

All you need is a piece of lumber and a drill with a bit. I have it on good authority that you use a 5/16 inch bit and enough wood to do a 3" deep hole. You don't want it going all the way through. They aren't as pretty, but they are just as welcoming to the Mason Bees as the beautiful ones.

Stay tuned as I build my own Mason Bee hives. I will post pictures of the process as soon as I find some old lumber... or maybe some of the huge firewood pieces we got from Brian's parents!