in other words
april2
2020
9
How You Can Be a Friend to Mason Bees
By Sye Laird
I’ve always loved bees. Even
with an allergy to bees and wasps, I’ve
spent many hours watching yellow jack-
ets build their papery kingdoms, saving
struggling hornets from Rock Creek at
the end of summer, and admiring bumble
bees on their awkward flights between
flowers. I wanted to be a beekeeper, but
never got around to it – what with all the
equipment and diseases. I didn’t know
much about mason bees (aka blue or-
chard bees) until 2013 when I installed
bee houses at a landscaping job. A few
of us took a field trip to Crown Bees, a
company devoted to mason bees, to learn
more and I was immediately converted.
Pollination productivity
We need pollinating insects to
grow fruits and vegetables, and many
of us in Columbia County live a long
ways from a grocery store. Although we
have a relatively short growing season, it
seems to me that we take pride in grow-
ing our own food, and pollinators of all
kinds are necessary in this endeavor.
Mason bees only live for six
weeks, but fly in colder and wetter
weather than other pollinators. They
typically emerge from their cocoons in
March and April, when temperatures
rise above 53 degrees and our fruit trees
bloom. Because I care for many fruit
trees each year, I am particularly inter-
ested in mason bees’ pollinating produc-
tivity. I learned at Crown Bees that one
mason bee does the pollination work
of 100 honeybees! Unlike honeybees,
they’re actually quite inefficient at carry-
ing pollen so they drop it here and there,
pollinating flowers liberally.
Solitary lives
Mason bees are solitary crea-
tures; they don’t need aggression to pro-
tect a hive like honey bees, yellow jack-
ets, and hornets. I find hives fascinat-
ing, but solitary bees allow for up-close
observation. Males don’t have stingers,
while females rarely sting. At presenta-
tions, I open up a few cocoons and let
participants enjoy the docile bees walk-
ing over their hands before flying off in
search of food.
Life cycle
Mason bee females lay their
eggs in existing holes in reeds and wood.
Each bee lays a series of eggs until the
holes drilled for mason bees, includ-
ing my own home growing up. This is
a nice idea, but mason bee specialists
advise against this approach. When fos-
tering bees, it’s important to create a
healthy environment; drilled holes can’t
be cleaned and harbor disease and mites.
I’ve seen mason bees unable to fly be-
cause they are thoroughly encased in
mites. In nature, mason bees typically
lay eggs in material that decomposes in
channel fills up. She provides a pollen
plug and a mud plug in between eggs.
The larvae spin cocoons, eat the pollen
plug, and develop into adults by end of
summer. They over-winter in their co-
coons until temperatures reach 53 de-
grees in the spring.
A note on siding: mason bees do
not chew holes. If you see them nesting
in your siding, rest assured they are not
doing harm. They are opportunistic, us-
ing existing holes and cracks.
A common practice that can harm
mason bee populations:
Many yards have wooden blocks with
a year or two, which by default reduces
mites and disease. So when supporting
their population, please create homes
that can be cleaned or discarded for the
next life cycle. If that seems like too
much work, rest assured that by simply
growing pollinator-friendly plants and
refraining from using chemicals, mason
bees will visit your garden.
Three easy ways to support mason
bees:
1. Grow pollinator-friendly plants! A few
examples are rosemary, mint, crocus,
Oregon grape, and fruit trees. In Verno-
nia, dandelions are the perfect food for
an emerging mason bee.
2. Don’t use pesticides or chemicals
harmful to bees.
3. If you want to boost the mason bee
population around your property, buy
some cocoons and release them in the
spring. This can be done every year with-
out worrying about providing a house.
For closer observation:
Place paper tubes, reeds, or wooden
trays with grooves in a bee house (see
photo). The house should be east-facing
and sheltered from rain. It’s important
to leave the house undisturbed while the
females are laying eggs in the spring. In
Marie Krahn
Massage Therapy
June, move nesting material to an out-
building and wrap in a pillow case or
fine mesh bag. This protects larvae from
predators (parasitic wasps and earwigs).
The next spring, place the old nesting
material in a cardboard box with a small
hole large enough for bees to emerge.
Place fresh paper tubes, reeds, or trays
in the house. Discard old nesting mate-
rial once the mason bees have flown to
reduce mites and disease.
Harvesting cocoons:
If you’d like a bit more contact
with your mason bees, you can
harvest them in the fall and clean
the cocoons and nesting mate-
rial (check out www.crownbees.
com for more details). Keep co-
coons in the fridge until the fol-
lowing spring. This allows you to
re-use your wooden trays, count
the cocoons, or give them away to
friends.
Want a project while you’re
stuck at home? Build your own
bee house!
1. Use lumber scraps to make a
simple or fancy house. I use 1x6
and 1x8 cedar scraps and a piece
of metal roofing to protect from
rain.
2. For the wooden trays, run 5/8”
or 3/4” boards on a table saw with a dado
blade. Cut grooves 5/16” by 5/16”, and
cut trays to length to fit in the bee house.
3. Stack the trays and secure them to-
gether with twine or zip ties.
4. Make sure to leave a spot in the house
for cocoons. I use a capped PVC tube
with a small hole drilled to protect from
mice and birds.
Bees and houses for sale
If you’re interested in buying
mason bee cocoons or a house with
wooden trays (see photo), you can buy
from me locally. Call me at 503.429.1275
for more information. Alternately, you
can find supplies online in all shapes,
sizes, and costs. Some even include a
plexiglass viewing area.
Sources:
OSU Extension Services, St. Helens of-
fice, (503) 397-3462
Crown Bees, www.crownbees.com
OSU extension, 10 Minutes University,
“Orchard Mason Bee” https://extension.
oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/docu-
ments/12281/masonbee.pdf
Benton Soil and Water fact sheet, https://
bentonswcd.org/assets/Mason-Bee-
Factsbrochure.pdf
Heather Lewis
New Day Massage
Theraputic Massage Specializing in:
Medical Massage Cupping
doTerra Aroma Touch
Trigger Point Therapy
Reiki • Deep Tissue
Myofacial Release
Reflexology
Medical Massage Cupping
Manual Lymph Drainage
Post Mastectomy Care
Nutritional Counseling
Oncology Support
Sauna on-site
503-429-5180
503-429-4677
#5495
#10732
Collectively serving Vernonia for over 30 years
Accepting HSA debit cards and insurance billing available