Orchard Mason Bees

OaklandCityFarmer

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Does anyone maintain homes for these?

I was thinking about doing so since I know honey bees would be out of the question. Building a house seems simple enough but I'm not sure if we have them in the area or if there's a certain time of the year I should put out the house.

Also, if we don't have them in the area, anyone know of a good source that I can order them from?

Are there any plants known that attract them?

Thanks in advanced.

Carlos
 

DrakeMaiden

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Hey Carlos!

I think it's a great idea to try to encourage the mason orchard bees (shortened to MOBs in the following text). This is interesting timing for your question, because I was at a Master Gardener's plant sale this morning and they had a display of MOB houses, with a sign that said "build them and they will come." Mind you, I know there are some native to our area, but I suspect they are native to your area as well.

We bought some from a mail order seed catalogue (Territorial Seeds), but I wasn't sure if we bought enough and now the local nursery is out of them. I haven't checked back with Territorial, but I expect the same is true with them. I think the time to buy them is late winter, early spring.

I believe that any typical bee plants are attractive to MOBs. So, I think the rule of thumb is white and purple flowers are most attractive. I don't think there are many flowers that bees don't use. I could be wrong tho.

Good luck attracting your MOBs!!!!
 

OaklandCityFarmer

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Well, I'll build it and hopefully they will come.

I've been noticing the same thing. Every source I've found is sold out for the season.

I've noticed the bees before in the area so I know that they are around. I'll build a few houses and put them out. See what happens. We have plenty of flowers of every color so I guess that's not an issue.

Thanks for the help!
 

DrakeMaiden

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You're welcome. :D

Even if you don't get any this year, as long as you have the infrastructure ready for them, then you can buy a few next year or just wait and see if they come on their own . . . here they usually come out in the early spring and then go dormant by mid-summer or so. If that is the case, they probably need to find their housing by mid-spring in our climate (to build their nests for next year). Things might happen earlier in your neck of the woods.

Again, wishing you good luck with them!
 

Tomatoes&Things

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The farm that I work at bought boxes of bees for the past two years and set them out in their fields with their lopes. They said that the bees return to the box (that has holes) every night. I don't know how long this last and I don't know what kind of bees they were. I thought it was a good way to increase the bee population but you are probably looking for ones that stay in a house. You have a good idea though and I am intrested in this myself.
 

OaklandCityFarmer

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Orchard Mason Bees are native bees that help with pollination. They live in small tubes, reeds or holes in which they build nests using mud.

I've read that taking a block of 4x6 untreated lumber and drilling a bunch of 4-6 inch 5/16" diameter holes will and placing it against a building will work well. Just protect them from rain. I'm going to do that but mount them on posts and give them a little roof.

This is suppose to help with pollination and is using a native insect that was somewhat decimated by the European Honey Bees that were brought over.

Either way, I'm building a couple of homes and putting them out. If I get bees this year, GREAT! If not, then I'll buy some this winter.
 

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