Mason bees is a common name for a variety of bees, but recently it has been given to bees in the genus Osmia. There are over 300 species in this genus and about 140 species are in North America. they are also called orchard bees.
If you want to supply mud for the mason bees, just use a handful of generic kitty litter and some water. Kitty litter that is clay and doesn’t have any fragrances or additives will work very well. Just place the bowl of mud near the nest box.
Mason bees are not having any problems with colony collapse or hybridizing with African killer bees, but they can have problems with pesticides. They are great bees to have in your landscape, especially if you have any fruit trees or fruiting shrubs like blueberries. Be careful when using insecticides as these bees look more like flies and there may be a lot of them in your landscape without you knowing it.
27 июл 2024
