This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Osima Bees

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Osmia are excellent pollinators - they work at cooler temperatures than
honeybees and they pollinate thoroughly because they collect pollen, not
nectar (honeybees will often avoid the pollen, dipping directly into the
nectaries at the base of the flowers).  They are stingless and non
agressive.  Downside - they are mainly for fruit trees, they do such a good
job you often have to thin the fruit a lot, and they are only active for 4-6
weeks, about the time from when cherries bloom through apple blossom time. 
You do have to provide nests for them, though in some areas they will
naturalize and start nesting in every nook and cranny they can find - they
only need a 5/16 inch hole to build their "nests" - really just tubes to
rear larvae.  The put in a ball of pollen, lay an egg, and seal it off.  Put
another ball of pollen in cell in front of the previous one, lay an egg and
seal it off, etc.  The larvae hatch, feed, then pupate and stay dormant
until the next spring when they hatch and start the whole thing over.
-Lon Rombough
----------
>From: malachi 3:16 <mal316@ix.netcom.com>
>To: Square Foot Gardening List <sqft@listbot.com>
>Subject: Osima Bees
>Date: Sat, Oct 23, 1999, 6:12 PM
>

>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
>Does anyone know anything about Osima bees? I saw an ad for them in a
>gardening catalog and it says that they are non aggresive. I wonder if
>they are good pollinators. Thanks for any help.
>
>
>        Susan Seifert in zone 9
>
>
>-- 
>
>
>............................................................
>Do you have everlasting life?  Take the 2 Question Test at...
>http://www.netcom.com/~mal316/1stpage.htm
>............................................................
>
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
>Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/
>


______________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index