Subject: Orchard Mason Bees?

From: [email-masked] (Craig Gammon)
Date: 2 Jul 1996 14:54:14 GMT

I'm looking for a gentleman by the name of Evan or Evans in the 
Seaattle area who, with some friends, are developing orchard mason 
bees.  I've talked with him recently, however, I've misplaced his 
telephone number.

	Evan, if you're out there, respond, as I need to talk to you.  
If anyone can help me locate him, I'd be most grateful.

Craig G.

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From: Dirk Howard <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 02 Jul 1996 16:50:04 -0600

> If anyone can help me locate him, I'd be most grateful.

Take a look at the following web page.

http://www.accessone.com/~knoxclr/

Dirk
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[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Rick Young)
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 11:25:19 -0800

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Craig
Gammon) wrote:

>I'm looking for a gentleman by the name of Evan or Evans in the Seaattle
>area who, with some friends, are developing orchard mason bees.

Evan Sugden and Kristina Willians of Bothell, Washingon sell Mason Bees
and bee blocks (houses).

Their company is EntomoLogic.
Evan's email address is [email-masked].

Their products are based on a cardboard tube inserts (nests) that go into
3/8" holes drilled into the bee block.  The inside diameter of the tube is
5/16".  They sell the Mason Bees in these  3 3/8" long tubes, a 20 hole
bee block, and replacement tubes.  When you have a surplus of bees they
will buy them back.  Their literature indicates that they have applied for
a patent ("patent applied for") on some aspect of their removable inserts.

As indicated in other replies to this, Knox Cellars also has Mason Bees
and bee blocks (http://www.accessone.com/~knoxclr/).
One of Knox Cellars products in an informative book (70 pages) "The
Orchard Mason Bee" by Brian L. Griffin. 

In the "Addendum to 2nd Printing 1994" of the above book Brian recommends:
(because the bees) "prefer a clean fresh hole" ... "keep two sets of
nesting blocks and use then in alternate years" ... "remove the old
blocks, redrill and clean them with a clorox solution".  I assume that
this also helps reduce the parasitic mite population and the Chalk Brood
fungus disease.

EntomoLogic's replaceable cardboard tubes are an alternate way of
providing a "clean fresh hole" that appears to be easier to maintain than
the above and you can easily give or sell surplus nest to others.  It does
have a recurring cost of replacing the tubes.

The bee blocks are of different sizes (36 & 20 hole) and cost.  When
comparing them keep in mind that you should buy Knox Cellar's blocks in
pairs.  With the EntomoLogic block you put all nest tubes with bees in a
temporary housing (a can) in the spring and the bees emerge from there. 
This allows you to put new tubes in the same block, and if necessary, you
can clean it without having a second set of blocks.

- Rick
- Rick  (EMail: [email-masked])

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From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 3 Jul 1996 10:21:31 -0400

Evan, if you're out there, respond, as I need to talk to you.  
If anyone can help me locate him, I'd be most grateful.<<

Brian Griffin has a web site with info on Orchard Mason bees.

http://www.accessone.com/~knoxclr/omb.htm

   He's out in the Pacific NW, so he may be the one you want.

[email-masked]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC
29554

Practical Pollination Home Page            Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html

[email-masked]                                   Dave Green
Practical Pollination Home Page    
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html  
PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC    29554