Market Farming

[Sojourner <sojournr AT missouri.org>]

Sojourner wrote:
> 
> FullCircleFarm wrote:
> >
> > What sort of house do mason bees like?
> 
> From:
> 
> http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/inf29.html
> 
> To build your own bee house, drill a series of holes 3/8 inches in
> diameter (smaller diameter holes will be used by leafcutter bees) three
> to six inches deep in pine or fir 4X4's or glued-up boards. Space the
> holes about 3/4 inch apart, the number and design are up to you. Paint
> and decorate as you wish. Mount the house firmly to fixed surface where
> it will get morning sun (the bees don't like to swing). Mason bees are
> active in the spring, so provide houses from February to July in
> Arizona.  Holes that are being used will be plugged with mud.
> 
> <end article>
> 
> To protect the above from woodpeckers, put a chicken wire or hardware
> cloth "cage" around the nest box to keep the birds away but still let
> the bees in.

Darn it, did it again!  Building homes for mason bees: 

1) Don't drill all the way through the board
2) mason bees only travel about 100 yards from their nest so if you want
mason bees to pollinate your orchard you'll need several houses
3) It is possible to buy mason bees though I don't have a source at
hand.
4) Whatever sort of bees you have, make sure that you have a source of
shallow water nearby for them.  A birdbath would do although some bees
(mason bees among them) require mud to make their nests so a shallow
pond or pool is preferred (if possible).
5) Some bees, bumblebees in particular, store little or no food (unlike
honeybees).  If you are having a bad drought year consider feeding the
bees as well as providing food for them - protecting your bee population
will help them to remain established so they will still be there for you
come spring.  This past summer local bumblebee populations were starving
due to the drought.

Here is a site with a lot of links and info pertaining to orchard
(mason) bees and other solitary bee species as pollinators.

http://www.uidaho.edu/pses/Strickler/SolitaryBees/solitary.htm

This link from that site is particularly good (about raising mason
bees):

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Ornamentals_and_Turf/flower_contents/orn_t109/not109.html

Also from the Idaho site, on building nestboxes:

Dr. Philip Torchio 
1491 N 1600 E, 
Logan, UT 84341 

Past work with Osmia lignaria has demonstrated that the most effective
hole size is close to 5/16" in diameter and 6" deep.  If holes of less
depth are used, the nesting females will produce fewer female and more
male progeny; if deeper holes are used, the extra space is wasted. The
bees flying in orchards have a surplus of pollen-nectar resources to
collect and, consequently, they fly only short distances from their nest
holes. To obtain even pollination across an orchard, it is necessary
to spread the bees evenly across the orchard. I would suggest that you
place one nest shelter per acre and establish 250 nesting females in
each shelter supplied with at least three nesting holes per nesting
female. 

Although I am now retired, I would be happy to answer any other
questions you may have. 

<end article>

I've seen both 5/16" and 3/8" holes recommended, and varying suggestions
for the hole depth from 2" to 8".  Can't begin to guess who's right on
that score - further research or experimentation is probably the order
of the day if you're interested in mason bees.

-- 
Holly ;-D
Contrary Peasant
sojournr AT missouri.org