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Orchard Mason bee friends

I built a mason bee house, and some other bee that nests in autumn moved in,
and sealed the 5/16" holes with leaves. I'm interested to learn more about
these late nesting bees. Actually some of the best garden successes are
accidents that happen when you're paying attention.

This winter I was given some Orchard Mason Bees asleep in their wooden block
home.
They're better than honey bees here for early pollination as they work more
in our cool rainey springs.
They're reported to be better pollinators than honey bees.
Orchard Mason bees work from about April 1 to about June 30 here, then go
dormant.

They don't have stingers.

Eric
Portland Oregon
USDA zone 8
Highs of 60 and Showers
Tulips are about done. Portland should be called the city of rhodies this
time of year.


At 08:48 PM 4/29/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Bill Loke wrote:
>> 
>"... Blue or orchard bees have been given excellent rating for
>pollination, especially fruit trees..."
>
>Some seed catalogs are offering cedar "Nesting Blocks" for Orchard Mason
>bees.   The blocks are  1/2" X 3 1/2" X 8 1/8" with 40 holes drilled on
>on a grid at about 3/4" between hole centers.  Does anybody have any
>experience, knowledge or opinion as to whether the bees will really use
>these things.  
>
>In our area, authorities request that any wild honey bee hives found on
>residental property by removed by bee experts because they are now all
>assumed to be crossbred with the africanized honey bee.  For that
>reason, as well as for the verroa mite problem, foraging wild honeybees
>are becoming scarce and like Bill Loke we also want to encourage all
>pollinators.
>
>Olin Miller
>millero@worldnet.att.net
>
>
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