permaculture

[gardenbetty@earthlink.net]

Hi Frank,

mason bees are extremely gentle; you can even hold them in your hand. When
they do sting it is less severe than, say, a honeybee or yellow jacket 
(yikes!)

They often nest in holes or crevices they find on your house, so I wouldn't
worry about proximity. You could even mount their homes on the east or south
side of your house itself. They need protection from wind and water and like a
sunny spot that won't get hotter than 90 degrees F. Just make sure they are
very close to your trees.

One note: mason bees don't live in hives. They are solitary bees and their
homes (blocks) are more like condo associations than hives!:)

Happy Equinox and Passover!

dawn 
aka gardenbetty

We will be known by the tracks we leave behind... —Dakota proverb


FranksFarm@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Dawn...thanks for the great post and the URL on the mason bees. Glad to hear
> they are not as susceptible to varroa.
> 
> I'm planning on putting a small orchard fairly within 200 ft of the house do
> you think they'd be a problem in that location. I could possibly locate the
> hives further away.
> 
> <<http://www.accessone.com/~knoxclr/omb.htm>>
> 
> Happy Easter!   Frank
>