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Re: Osima Bees

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

Technically, these have to be called "stingless wasps" rather than
bees, despite the superficial resemblance.  This does not prevent
them from being useful.  Bumblebees are also technically wasps as
well (big fat wasps).

Sorry, every now and then I get picky.  It isn't a bee unless it's
part of an organized colony.  This leaves out several things
occasionally mistaken for bees.  But Osima are less organized than
(for instance) paper wasps and yellowjackets.

Ward Griffiths

"Lon J. Rombough" wrote:
> 
> 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.


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