Subject: Bees, Mason (Osmia), carpenter, solitary, and Bumble

From: [email-masked] (Rick Young)
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 1996 10:59:10 -0800

Hello,

Most of the wild honey bees it this area (Sunnyvale, California, USA - San
Francisco Bay area) have been killed by a mite. I am looking for an
alternative way to pollinate fruit trees in my backyard.  I have seen wood
blocks, with holes drilled in them, being sold as Mason Bee (Osmia Bee)
houses.  I would like to build my own.  I have been told you can build
similar houses for Carpenter Bees if the holes are larger.  I am also
interested in other solitary bees and Bumble Bees.

Has anyone had any experience with the above?

What kind of wood is best for the Bee Houses?

What hole sizes are used for Mason Bees (Osmia Bees) and  Carpenter Bees?

Do you need to provide mud or water (or anything else) for them?

Are Mason Bees (Osmia Bees) commonly found in northern California?

Any other advice or pollination suggestions?

Please E-mail me at: [email-masked]

Thank you,

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

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From: [email-masked] (Matthew Shugart)
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 13:37:15 -0800

There is a useful little book called The Orchard Mason Bee.  Unfortunately
I do not have the author or publisher handy.  I found mine in the catalog
of Northwoods Nursery, and I believe I have seen it in other mail-order
nursery catalogs.  (If you want the details, e-mail me privately and I'll
look them up for you.)

The book suggests that the orchard mason bee is common throughout the US,
but does not give any more specific information on its range.  I, too,
would be very interested to learn from anybody's experiene with these
bees, as I currently have fruit trees bursting with blooms and hardly a
bee to be seen.  I am in northern San Diego County and we, like may areas,
have a shortage of bees.

One option for backyard growers who have insufficient bee population is to
hire a hive.  Local farm supply stores often have information on
beekeepers looking for homes for extra hives.  I will be looking into that
myself.

Comments invited.  please post to the newsgropup if of general interest,
or contact me by private e-mail ([email-masked]).

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From: [email-masked] (Ken)
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 01:55:47 GMT

>interested in other solitary bees and Bumble Bees.
Why on earth would you want to attract Carpenter Bees? They'll find
any little bit of unprotected wood in your house or garage and eat it.
Plus, they like to just hang in the air while contemplating their next
bite, and if you should want to walk past them, you have to either go
around or through...  As if that were not enough a friend had a chunk
removed from her leg by one of those bees - it left a sizeable hole!
AND (yes, there's more) - they are almost impossible to get rid of,
being somehow immune to most poisons, even those mixed into mortar to
plug their holes.  Stick with the "good"bees - Carpenter Bees are a
nightmare.

Sabra
One who knows...
Zone 5-6

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From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Mar 1996 22:09:34 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> Matthew
>nursery catalogs.  (If you want the details, e-mail me privately and I'll

I've seen this in Capability's Books catalog (800-247-8154).  It's fairly
inexpensive--less than $10, I think.  This is an excellent source for
gardening books--they have a huge selection of only gardening books--and
closely related topics, like the above-mentioned orchard mason bee
book--and they're completely honest and reliable, in my fairly extensive
experience.

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From: [email-masked] (Ribes60)
Date: 22 Mar 1996 10:52:27 -0500

I have been using orchard bees for a number of years. I grow currants and
gooseberries and they bloom very early, before most honeybees are active.
The orchard bees work much faster and harder also. I also have a large
population of Bumbles and they are the best of all. Good thing about
Orchard bees is that they almost never sting, and are no trouble to
maintain.

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From: [email-masked] (Ingrid K. Buxton)
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 1996 05:48:26 GMT

Here in Wisconsin, we've also had a crash in honeybees... mostly due
to the practice of taking all the product, letting the bees die and
buying new queens every year... when the queen suppliers are hit hard,
no bees are available and the stock is genetically poor and poorly
adapted for unusual weather... I have seen really poor fruit set even
in pretty good weather... we dont know what to do either.. we dont
keep bees ourselves and probably wouldnt be allowed to considereing
that the 'burbs have grown up around us... Ingrid

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From: [email-masked] (Andy Nachbaur)
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 1996 00:29:00 GMT

R>From: [email-masked] (Ribes60)
 >Subject: Re: Bees, Mason (Osmia), carpenter, solitary, and Bumble

R>I have been using orchard bees for a number of years. I grow currants and
 >Orchard bees is that they almost never sting, and are no trouble to

This is not the case here in Central California. It is rare to find
the  Blue Orchard bee out in the almond bloom, a crop the blooms in
the late winter and requires large numbers of bees for cross
pollination. 1995 and this were seasons of poor flight weather
for any bees, osmia or honey and the 1995 crop was reduced by the
50% by the lack of bee activity. Its too early to gestimate this
years crop but judging from what I have seen it also will be as
short or shorter then last years.

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